1^ 


1 


BV  46 5T~7S3 4  l^^l 
Schenck,  Ferdinand 

Schureman,  1845-1925. 
The  ten  commandments  and 

Lord's  prayer 


th 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

AND 

THE    LORD'S   PRAYER. 


THE 
TEN  COMMANDMENTS 

AND 

THE  LORD'S   PRAYER 

^    SOCIOLOGICAL    STUDT 


Ferdinand   S.   Schenck,   D.D. 

Professor  of  Practical  Theology,   Theological  Seminary  of  the  Reformed 
{Dutch)  Church  in  America,  New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey 


FUNK   &  WAGNAI,I,S   COMPANY 

NE:w    YORK    AND    I^ONDON 
1902 


Copyright,  1889,  by  FUNK  &  WAGNAI,I.S 

Copyright,  1902,  uv 

FUNK   &   WAGNAI^IyS   COMPANY 

[printed  in  the  united  states  of  America] 

Published  in  September,  1902 


PREFACE  TO  THE  NEW  EDITION. 


A  great  philosopher  has  said  that  the  mind  must 
be  filled  with  awe  when  one  contemplates  either 
the  universe  or  the  moral  law.  The  psalmist  saw 
the  glory  of  God  alike  in  the  heavens  and  in  the 
law.  Given  in  the  early  dawn  of  civilization,  this 
law  of  the  Ten  Commandments  has  not  been  left 
behind  in  the  advance  of  the  race,  but  still  stands 
far  ahead,  beckoning  on  the  centuries.  Its  perfec- 
tion is  a  sufiicient  evidence  of  its  Divine  origin. 
Each  commandment  is  an  authoritative  statement 
of  a  fundamental  principle  of  human  nature. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  voices  forth  the  response  of 
human  nature  as  moved  by  the  Divine  Savior ;  it 
recognizes  its  deep  need  and  lofty  possibilities. 

The  Law  and  the  Prayer  together  describe  the 
individual  man  in  God's  sight,  the  grandeur  and 
loneliness  of  personality.  But  they  are  not  content 
with  God  and  the  individual  man  ;  there  must  be 
other  men.  And  thus  they  provide  for  the  ideal 
Society,  when  all  men  shall  regard  God  as  their 
Father  and  their  fellow  men  as  brothers. 

I  send  forth  this  book  with  the  great  design  of 
helping  men  to  see  the  glory  of  God  and  our  own 
nobility,  as  set  forth  in  this  Law  and  Prayer  of  our 
being. 


CONTENTS. 


The  Ten^  Commandments:  page. 

The  Law-Giver 5 

The  First  Commandment 15 

The  Second  Commandment 26 

The  Third  Commandment 38 

The  Fourth  Commandment 48 

The  Fifth  Commandment 61 

The  Sixth  Commandment 75 

The  Seventh  Commandment 87 

The  Eighth  Commandment 102 

The  Ninth  Commandment 118 

The  Tenth  Commandment 129 

The  Lord's  Prayer: 

From  Law  to  Prayer 143 

"  Our  Father  which  art  in  Heaven  "      ....  146 

"Hallowed  be  Thy  name" 158 

"Thy  Kingdom  come" 174 

"  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  Heaven  "  187 

"  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread  " 201 

"And  forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our 

debtors" 215 

"And  lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver 

us  from  evil " 229 

"  For  thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power,  and 

the  glory,  for  ever.    Amen  " 242 


THE  TEN   COMMANDMENTS, 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 


THE  LAW-GIVER. 

**  And  God  spake  all  these  words,  saying  :  I  am  the  Lord  thy 
God,  which  have  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the 
house  of  bondage."— Ex.  20:  1,2. 

There  is  a  law  by  which  the  earth  revolves,  and  light 
follows  darkness.  There  is  a  law  by  which  the  earth 
sweeps  round  the  sun,  and  the  seasons  follow  each  other 
in  endless  procession ;  spring  with  its  flowers,  summer 
with  its  harvests,  autumn  with  its  fruits,  and  winter 
with  its  snows.  There  is  a  law  by  which  fishes  swim  in 
the  sea,  birds  fly  in  the  air,  and  the  lion  roams  through 
the  forest ;  by  which  man  goes  forth  to  his  labor  with 
the  morning  light  and  returns  to  his  rest  with  the  even- 
ing shades.  Wherever  we  look,  over  our  heads,  beneath 
our  feet,  on  every  side,  within  our  bodies,  there  is  the 
working  of  law.  Nature  teaches  us  that  her  mysterious 
force  is  regulated  and  so  manifests  an  established  order 
of  events ;  that  she  produces  the  harmony  of  the  whole 
and  the  well-being  of  each  part  by  obedience  to  law. 
We  can  imagine  a  particular  thing  casting  off  the  law 
of  its  being,  but  only  to  its  own  ruin.  A  stone  flies 
from  the  earth  and  is  consumed ;  a  plant  refuses  the  rain 
and  languishes  ;  an  animal  resists  the  craving  of  appetite 
and  starves.  We  can  imagine  a  combined  breaking  of 
the  law — an  organized  rebellion — and  the  earth  throws 
off  the  power  of  the  sun  and  rushes  out  into  space,  only 
to  find  the  chill  darkness  of  death.  The  only  conceiva- 
ble way  of  escape  from  the  evils  of  such  rebellion  would 
be  by  a  restoration  to  obedience. 

5 


6  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

The  highest  well-being  of  nature  in  whole  or  in  any 
particular  part  can  be  attained  only  by  operation  of 
law.  The  law  does  not  arise  from  this  well-being,  for  it 
is  its  source.  There  can  be  only  one  source  of  law,  the 
will  of  the  Law-giver.  All  nature  is  as  Mount  Sinai,  the 
throne  of  the  Law-giver.  All  law  being  the  expression 
of  His  will  is  the  manifestation  of  His  character,  and 
with  reference  to  the  creature  subject  to  it  is  the 
description  of  its  highest  possible  well-being,  the  ideal 
of  God  for  it.  All  the  well-being  we  can  see  in  nature 
comes  through  the  operation  of  law  whose  source  is 
God's  good  will. 

Let  us  recognize  at  the  beginning  of  our  study  of  the 
Ten  Commandments  that  this  law  has  its  source  in  God. 
It  comes  to  us  from  His  will  whose  authority  is  beyond 
question  and  our  obligation  to  obey  is  complete. 

We  will  be  able  to  see  with  various  degrees  of  clear- 
ness, according  to  the  powers  of  soul  which  God  has 
bestowed  upon  us  and  according  to  the  attention  we 
give  to  the  subject,  that  the  law  prescribes  a  "general 
fitness  of  things,"  that  it  aims  to  promote  the  general 
happiness,  and  that  it  describes  the  nature  of  man 
according  to  the  design  of  his  Creator,  so  setting  forth 
the  unchanging  principles  of  his  being.  But  our  obli- 
gation to  obey  could  never  be  complete  if  it  rested  upon 
our  seeing  these  things,  for  the  most  gifted  of  mankind 
are  incompetent  to  judge  of  the  "general  fitness  of 
things,"  have  at  best  a  limited  view  of  the  general  good, 
and  have  not  yet  fully  discovered  all  the  unchanging 
principles  of  our  being.  Neither  could  these  things  in 
themselves,  if  fully  seen,  bind  the  conscience  ;  to  awaken 
the  "I   ought  not"  of  conscience   against   an  aroused 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  7 

desire,  there  is  needed  further  the  voice  of  God.  If  we 
weigh  the  general  good  or  even  an  acknowledged  prin- 
ciple of  our  nature  against  an  intense  desire,  the  act  is 
one  of  the  judgment,  and  the  desire  will  have  a  controll- 
ing influence  upon  it ;  but  at  the  bar  of  conscience  the 
voice  of  God  saying,  "  Thou  shalt  not,"  concludes  the 
case,  and  desire  can  have  no  standing. 

When,  however,  we  regard  the  unchanging  principles 
of  our  nature  as  wrought  into  the  constitution  of  the 
creature  by  the  Creator,  they  become  the  expression  of 
his  will  and  so  a  law  binding  upon  the  conscience.  A 
godless  evolution  can  never  devise  a  law  binding  on 
the  conscience,  but  an  evolution  searching  for  the 
Creator  finds  in  these  principles  of  man's  nature  the 
voice  of  God.  These  principles  and  the  Ten  Command- 
ments comiug  from  the  same  source  confirm  and  illus- 
trate each  other.  The  giving  of  the  law  at  Sinai  is  not 
to  be  regarded  therefore  as  the  institution  of  a  new  law, 
only  as  the  publication  in  a  new  way  of  the  original 
law  of  our  being.  The  terrible  circumstances  attending 
its  issuing,  and  the  fact  that  it  is  issued  largely  in  a 
prohibitory  form,  indicate  that  it  is  issued  to  a  race  who 
have  already  broken,  and  whose  strong  tendency  is  to 
continue  to  break,  the  unchanging  principles  of  their 
being — to  fall  from  the  ideal  of  God.  Their  fall  gives 
the  reason  for  the  issuing  of  the  law.  God  does  not 
lower  his  ideal  for  the  race,  but  since  they  have  lost 
sight  of  it,  He  sets  it  before  them  in  a  new  and  striking 
form.  He  chooses  a  time  in  the  history  of  the  race  for 
issuing  his  law  which  precludes  all  thought  of  its  hav- 
ing a  human  origin.  The  world  would  never  look  for  its 
highest  code  of  religion  and  morals  to  the   Egyptian 


8  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

civilization,  nor  to  a  race  of  slaves.  He  stamps  upon  it 
the  seal  of  His  work,  perfection. 

We  shall  see  as  we  pursue  our  study  that  each  com- 
mand states  a  great  principle  of  our  nature ;  that  highest 
manliness  can  only  be  attained  in  recognizing  and  follow- 
ing this  principle.  The  highest  civilization  the  world 
has  yet  reached  has  not  gone  beyond,  has  not  even 
attained  to  the  carrying  out  of  these  principles.  No 
reason  has  been  discovered  for.  setting  aside  a  single 
command  as  unworthy  of  God  or  man.  Neither  is  there 
any  prospect  that  man  will  ever  become  conscious,  dur- 
ing this  earthly  stage  of  his  existence,  of  a  principle  of 
his  being  which  is  not  covered  by  the  law  of  God,  nor 
of  a  "  fitness  of  things  "  not  provided  for,  nor  of  a  way 
of  securing  happiness  other  than  obedience  to  it. 

The  Ten  Commandments  are  the  authentic  state- 
ments by  the  Creator  of  the  great  general  principles  of 
the  constitution  of  man  and  of  human  society,  since  they 
are  the  statutes  issued  by  the  Supreme  Law-giver.  The 
voice  teaching  man  of  his  own  nature  and  relationships 
has  the  tone  of  rightful  authority,  is  the  voice  of  God. 

Since  "  God  spake  all  these  words  "  we  find  in  them 
the  law  of  our  being.  The  conscience  hears  his  voice, 
acknowledges  his  rightful  authority  and  bows  before 
him. 

There  is  great  need  of  the  "  I  ought "  power  being 
developed  in  our  nature  so  that  it  controls  our  lives ; 
a  need  at  least  as  great  in  this  advanced  age  and  in 
rich  America  as  it  was  in  that  early  age  and  in  the 
wilderness  of  Sinai.  To  be  swayed  not  by  impulse,  nor 
by  intense  desire,  nor  by  aroused  willfulness,  but  by  a 
sense  of  obligation  to  God,  insures  a  manhood  which  is 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  9 

a  success  in  itself.  What  better  start  in  life  can  the 
young  have  than  a  firm  determination  to  obey  God  / 
Can  there  be  a  better  guide  in  life,  in  the  perplexities 
of  society,  of  business  or  of  politics,  than  this  same 
principle  of  obedience  to  God  ?  Will  not  the  character 
of  steadfast  obedience  to  God  be  the  only  kind  of 
character  we  will  care  to  take  with  us  when  we  pass 
beyond  this  life  ?  We  may  well  be  very  diligent  in  our 
study  of  the  Ten  Commandments,  with  the  strong  pur- 
pose to  make  them  the  rule  of  our  lives. 

While  this  law  coming  from  God  binds  the  conscience, 
it  at  the  same  time  secures  true  liberty  of  conscience. 
Nothing  can  bind  the  conscience  beyond  or  contrary 
to  this  law.  It  is  the  comprehensive  and  only  law  of 
the  conscience.  All  moral  and  religious  duties  are 
covered  by  it ;  there  can  be  none  beyond  or  contrary  to 
it.  It  provides  for  obedience  to  State  and  Church  and 
regard  for  public  opinion,  and  sets  limits  also  to  such 
regard  and  obedience.  Our  obligation  to  obey  human 
enactments  rests  upon  this  law.  They  therefore  must 
never  be  contrary  to  it.  We  are  not  called  to  obey  but 
rather  to  resist  the  usurpations  of  men,  in  whatever 
position  and  however  well  meaning,  who  would  make 
that  to  be  sin  which  God  does  not  forbid,  and  that 
obligatory  which  God  does  not  command.  The  spirit 
of  obeying  God  rather  than  man  has  led  martyrs  to  the 
stake  and  patriots  to  the  battle-tield,  and  to  it  we  are 
largely  indebted  for  the  civil  and  religious  liberty  we 
possess  in  this  land  of  the  free. 

This  law  coming  from  God  repels  many  of  the  as- 
saults of  infidelity  upon  the  Bible.  Infidelity  finds  it 
impossible  to  account  for  the  existence  of  this  law  in  the 


lO  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

Bible.  It  is  too  absurd  to  claim  that  this  consummate 
moral  and  religious  code  arose  from  the  religious  and 
moral  condition  of  the  race  at  that  time.  The  law,  and 
the  life  of  Jesus  Christ,  perfect  according  to  the  law, 
these  are  in  the  Bible — its  exclusive  possession — and  all 
the  criticisms  and  witticisms  of  infidels  fall  from  them 
as  arrows  shot  against  a  fortress,  broken,  and  leaving  no 
mark.  Besides,  infidelity  is  forced  to  honor  the  moral 
law  in  making  it  its  standard  of  criticism.  Much  of  its 
fault-finding  of  lives  and  measures  is  an  unintended 
tribute  to  the  law  of  God.  They  forget  that  the 
Bible,  like  any  historical  record,  does  not  commend  all 
it  records ;  but  it  does  contain  the  highest  standard  of 
judgment,  the  revealed  will  of  God,  before  which  they 
instinctively  bow.  Their  criticism  of  the  civil  law,  that 
it  upheld  polygamy,  established  slavery,  inflicted  the 
death-penalty  for  many  offenses,  is  virtually  a  com- 
parison of  it  with  the  moral  law,  and  shows  only  their 
own  lack  of  discrimination  as  to  the  different  realms  of 
these  laws.  The  civil  law  was  to  be  enforced  by  the 
nation  itself,  and  was  evidently  designed  for  the  de- 
velopment of  the  nation,  and  was  the  best  possible  that 
could  be  self-applied  by  a  low  condition  to  elevate  to  a 
higher.  The  result  shows  this.  Only  about  a  dozen 
offenses  were  punishable  by  death,  a  far  less  number 
than  a  few  years  ago  were  sanctioned  by  the  laws  of 
England,  when  she  had  left  the  barbarous  stage  already 
far  behind.  Slavery  and  polygamy  were  already  exist- 
ing institutions,  and  were  so  restricted  by  the  civil  law 
that  at  the  time  of  Christ  there  were  few  if  any 
polygamous  or  slaveholding  Jews  in  Palestine.  The 
civil  law  was  the  best  possible  law  for  that  nation  in 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  li 

that  day,  and  was  wisely  designed  to  lift  up  towards 
the  moral  law. 

Infidelity  has  a  great  deal  to  say  concerning  the 
ceremonial  law,  and  especially  concerning  the  sacrificial 
element  in  it.  They  forget  that  they  look  upon  it  from 
a  Christian  condition  where  no  bloody  sacrifices  are 
known,  a  condition  that  has  grown  out  of  that  same 
ceremonial  law,  and  is  a  fulfilment  of  it.  If  they  would 
look  at  it  from  the  stand-point  of  that  day  and  of  sur- 
rounding religions,  they  would  see  that  God  restricted 
sacrifices  to  one  place,  and  prescribed  such  regulations  as 
gave  them  deep  meaning.  The  ceremonial  law  taught 
of  the  holiness  of  God  and  of  a  coming  Savior,  and  was 
designed  to  provide  for  restored  obedience  to  the  moral 
law.  In  condemning  some  of  the  terrible  events  in  the 
Bible  as  immoral,  infidelity  forgets  that  it  is  within  the 
province  of  a  Law-giver  to  define  and  provide  for  the  in- 
fliction of  the  penalty  for  the  disobedience  of  the  law, 
and  so  these  terrible  events  set  forth  the  importance  of 
the  moral  law  as  the  law  of  man's  being. 

The  fact  that  this  law  comes  from  God,  carries  with 
it  another  lesson  and  one  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
us — B.i%  authority  runs  through  all  the  divisions  of  the 
law.  This  one  law  is  arranged  in  ten  sections,  and 
these  sections  are  grouped  into  two  classes.  Whatever 
may  be  said  of  the  relative  importance  of  each  table  or 
of  each  commandment  in  itself,  the  truth  should  be 
kept  in  mind  that  the  authority  of  God  is  the  same  in 
all. 

There  is  a  tendency  to  separate  the  two  tables. 
Some  men  seem  to  rely  upon  observing  the  first  table 
without  much  regard  to  the  second,  and  otliers  claim  to 


I?  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

keep  the  second  while  they  ignore  the  first.  No  such 
separation  can  be  made.  Both  must  be  fully  observed 
or  the  whole  law  is  broken.  /  We  cannot  be  devoted  to 
God,  correct  in  matters  of  faith  and  zealous  in  his 
worship,  while  we  neglect  charity  of  feeling,  word  and 
act  toward  our  neighbor.  If  God  is  our  Father,  man  is 
our  brother.  Neither  can  we  truly  love  our  neighbor 
while  we  neglect  God,  for  we  cannot  keep  any  part  of 
the  law  without  supreme  reverence  for  Him  who  com- 
mands. Neither  can  we  truly  love  our  neighbor  with- 
out recognizing  that  we  are  both  and  equally  creatures 
of  God.  If  man  is  our  brother,  it  is  because  God  is  our 
Father.  Duties  to  man  flow  from  and  are  a  part  of 
duties  to  God.  No  worship  of  God  will  satisfy  his  law — 
not  even  the  first  table,  which  is  lacking  in  love  to  our 
neighbor;  and  no  love  to  our  neighbor  will  satisfy  God's 
law — not  even  the  second  table,  which  is  lacking  in 
love  to  Him.  Much  that  goes  under  the  names  of  piety 
and  morality  in  our  day  is  seen  at  a  glance  to  be  terribly 
defective  in  the  light  of  this  self-evident  principle. 

There  is  a  tendency  also  to  separate  the  command- 
ments, and  to  claim  virtue  for  keeping  some  while  we 
make  light  of  breaking  others.  One  says:  "  I  sometimes 
swear,  when  excited,  but  no  man  ever  could  charge  me 
with  dishonesty."  Another  says  :  "  I  do  not  make  a 
practice  of  observing  the  Sabbath,  but  all  men  will  tell 
you  that  my  word  can  be  relied  upon."  Now  the 
violation  of  one  precept  is  not  an  actual  violation  of 
another,  but  it  is  the  breaking  of  the  whole  law  in  that 
it  sets  aside  the  authority  of  God.  He  who  breaks  one 
command  disregards  the  authority  of  God.  If  he  keeps 
other  commandments,  it  must  be  from  other  considera- 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  13 

tions.  If  it  was  the  autljority  of  God  which  kept  him 
from  stealing  or  lying,  that  same  authority  would  restrain 
him  from  swearing  or  Sabbath-breaking.  Thus  by 
breaking  one  commandment  he  shows  he  has  the  spirit 
of  breaking  them  all,  for  he  does  not  submit  to  the 
authority  of  God.  It  is  true,  the  more  precepts  we  keep 
the  more  valuable  men  and  women  we  are  to  the  society 
in  which  we  dwell.  He  who  steals  is  an  injury  to 
society.  He  who  is  honest  is  so  far  a  blessing.  But  a 
man  may  have  a  kind  of  honesty  without  the  least 
regard  to  God,  and  hence  cannot  be  said  to  obey  even  the 
commandment  requiring  honesty.  Such  an  one,  how- 
ever, is  not  only  a  better  citizen  but  he  honors  God  to 
this  extent,  that  he  approves  of  that  which  God  com- 
mands. Still  he  should  recognize  that  he  has  at  heart 
no  respect  for  the  authority  of  God. 

In  the  preface  to  the  law,  God  describes  himself  not 
only  as  the  self-existing  Creator,  but  as  having  entered 
into  close  personal  relation  with  the  Israelites  through 
promises  made  to  their  fathers,  some  of  which  had  just 
been  faithfully  fulfilled  in  conferring  great  blessings 
upon  them.  So  he  appeals  not  only  to  their  respect  for 
his  authority,  but  to  the  relation  to  him  which  they 
had  inherited  and  accepted,  and  to  the  gratitude  they 
should  have  for  such  benefits  received.  This  preface 
does  not  limit  the  following  law  to  the  Israelites,  but 
makes  a  special  appeal  to  them.  The  law  is  general, 
for  all  mankind,  the  original  law  of  their  being,  since 
it  appeals  to  and  aro6ses  the  universal  conscience  ;  but 
a  special  revelation  of  God  and  rich  favors  bestowed 
form  a  strong  appeal  for  the  most  hearty  obedience. 
God  describes  himself  to  the  full  extent  in  which  he 


14  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

had  at  that  time  revealed  himself.  Whatever  increase 
of  revelation  we  have  received  strengthens  the  appeal. 
This  shows  the  kind  of  obedience  we  should  give ;  not 
reluctant,  but  eager  ;  not  forced,  but  spontaneous  ;  not 
irksome,  but  with  delight ;  not  heartless,  but  with  the 
enthusiasm  of  love.  Created  things  obey  the  laws  of 
their  being  joyously.  Stars  shine,  flowers  bloom,  birds 
sing.  Surely  intelligent  beings,  recognizing  the  law  of 
their  being,  should  joyously  obey  it,  especially  when 
God  reveals  himself  fully  and  confers  richest  blessings 
upon  them. 

As  we  enter  upon  the  study  of  each  separate  com- 
mand, let  it  be  with  a  firm  purpose  to  seek  for  the  whole 
truth,  and  with  an  honest  resolution  to  apply  it  to  our 
own  hearts  and  lives.  A  knowledge  of  the  revelation 
of  God  made  through  Jesus  Christ,  and  a  reception  of 
the  blessings  bestowed  through  him  strengthen  God's 
claim  upon  us.  The  newness  of  life  in  Christ  is  sub- 
ject to  this  law.  The  love  we  bear  him,  is  not  an  aim- 
less rapture,  but  the  spirit  of  new  obedience,  to  mani- 
fest itself  in  keeping  his  commandments.  If  we  shall 
find  that  we  have  in  any  respect  broken  this  law  of 
God,  or  are  prone  to  break  it,  let  us  at  once  seek  for- 
giveness and  new  life  in  Jesus  Christ.  He  came  to 
save  sinners  from  their  sins,  to  restore  them  to  complete 
and  hearty  obedience. 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 

"  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me." — Ex,  20 :  3. 

There  is  a  marked  difference  between  the  laws  of 
man,  though  moral,  and  this  law  of  God.  Human  laws 
govern  outward  conduct  alone.  Man  can  only  take 
notice  of  the  action  of  his  fellow-man,  and  infer  the 
intention  from  it.  But  God  searches  the  heart  of  man. 
His  law  applies  directl}^  to  the  inner  life,  the  feelings 
and  purposes,  the  disposition  and  character.  This  fea- 
ture of  the  whole  law  is  particularly  prominent  in  this 
first  commandment,  where  no  outward  act  whatever  is 
commanded  or  prohibited,  but  the  soul  purely  and 
simply  is  the  subject  of  the  law. 

This  commandment  like  many  others  has  the  prohib- 
itory form.  Wherever  this  is  the  case  the  opposite  of 
the  thing  forbidden  is  commanded,  being  guarded  by 
the  prohibition.  Hence  we  are  here  commanded  to 
give  supreme  allegiance  to  and  find  our  highest  good  in 
God  alone.  When  we  give  supreme  allegiance  to  and 
find  our  highest  good  in  any  person  or  thing  other  than 
God,  we  make  that  person  or  thing  our  god,  and  we  do 
this  of  necessity  in  the  presence  of  God,  before  his  face. 
This  idolatry  is  forbidden. 

It  is  quite  evident  without  further  study  that  this 
commandment  prescribes  a  general  "  fitness  of  things," 
the  proper  relation  of  man  to  God  ;  aims  to  promote  the 
highest  happiness,  directing  man  to  seek  his  good  in 
the  highest  source — God  himself;    and  describes  the 

15 


l6  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

nature  of  man,  setting  forth  a  great  principle  of  his 
being,  that  he  is  capable  of  giving  allegiance  to  God, 
has  faculties  and  powers  capable  of  knowing  and  lov- 
ing God. 

This  commandment  at  once  arouses  the  conscience 
with  the  claim  that  our  first  duty  is  not  to  ourselves, 
not  even  to  our  neighbors,  but  to  our  God.  The  awak- 
ened conscience  says  :  "  That  is  right.  He  made  me 
and  continues  me  in  being.  My  chief  duty  is  not  to 
myself  but  to  Him.  He  made  and  continues  my  fellow- 
men  in  being.  He  places  us  in  these  relations  of  life. 
My  first  duty  is  not  to  them,  but  to  Him."  It  is  not 
then  a  little  thing  to  neglect  God,  as  so  many  seem  to 
think.  It  violates  and  degrades  a  foundation  principle 
of  our  nature — it  is  failure  in  the  principal  duty  of 
life. 

The  Egyptians  and  the  neighboring  nations,  when  this 
law  was  given,  worshiped  many  diverse  imaginary 
beings,  the  creations  of  their  own  fancy,  as  gods.  This 
commandment  was  directly  opposed  to  this  prevailing 
practice,  strictly  prohibited  it,  and  commanded  the 
worship  of  the  one  true  God.  Wherever  it  has  been 
generally  received  the  worship  of  such  imaginary  beings 
has  ceased,  and  with  us  is  entirely  unknown.  To  this 
extent  the  commandment  seems  to  have  accomplished 
its  purpose.  It  is  generally  conceded  now  that  there 
are  not  more  gods  than  one,  the  true  and  living  God. 
That  He  exists  is  the  only  explanation  of  our  own  exist- 
ence.    Conscious  of  the  one,  we  are  sure  of  the  other. 

Our  power  of  knowing  and  loving  Him  is  the  dis- 
tinguishing power  of  man,  separating  him  from  the 
brutes  with  whom  he  is  in  many  other  respects  allied. 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  1 7 

Not  to  exercise  this  power  is  to  cast  away  the  crown  of 
our  manhood.  God  dignified  man  in  the  highest  degree 
when  he  gave  him  this  commandment.  He  calls  him  to 
the  highest  realm  of  knowledge,  the  knowledge  of  Him- 
self. Of  course  we  cannot  know  God  fully.  Our  weak, 
limited  minds  cannot  comprehend  the  Infinite  One. 
Shall  we  therefore  claim  He  is  unknowable,  and  refuse  to 
affirm  or  deny  anything  concerning  his  existence  and 
character  ?  As  well  might  the  child,  who  fails  to  put  the 
ocean  into  the  hole  he  has  dug  in  the  sand,  look  wise 
and  say,  "  Well  then,  there  is  no  ocean."  The  truths 
above  and  beyond  us,  whose  greatness  may  not  be 
understood  but  can  be  acknowledged,  sway  and  elevate 
us.  Not  that  which  we  can  comprehend,  but  that  which 
comprehends  us ;  not  that  which  our  little  minds  can 
hold,  but  that  which  fills  them  and  holds  them — the 
height  of  the  mountain  beyond  where  we  can  climb  ;  the 
expanse  of  the  ocean  beyond  our  power  of  vision ;  the 
distance  of  the  stars  beyond  the  flight  of  our  imagina- 
tion— these  fill  the  mind  with  awe ;  we  are  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  sublime.  If  we  could  comprehend  God  we 
would  be  greater  than  He.  The  unknowable  in  God 
leads  us  to  worship  the  God  we  know.  This  command 
calls  us  to  a  constant  advance  in  the  knowledge  of  God, 
so  securing  the  activity  and  development  of  our  power 
of  knowing,  and  making  it  our  duty  to  carefully  attend 
to  the  revelation  He  has  made  of  Himself. 

This  certainly  commends  the  study  of  Nature ;  not 
only  the  poetic  listening  to  its  subtile  teachings,  but 
the  scientific  research  for  its  great  truths.  While  it 
cannot  be  claimed  that  some  scientific  theories  have  any 
respect  for  this  commandment,  it  is  certainly  to  be 
2 


1 8  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

acknowledged  that  the  earnest  search  of  science  for 
truth  is  to  that  extent  a  keeping  of  the  law.  To 
neglect  this  great  realm  where  God  has  expressed  so 
many  of  His  great  thoughts,  where  He  has  so  clearly 
revealed  "His  eternal  power  and  God-head,"  is  con- 
demned as  indifference  to  the  knowledge  of  Himself. 

This  certainly  commends  the  study  of  the  Scriptures. 
These  claim  to  contain  a  special  revelation  of  God.  To 
give  a  fair  investigation  to  this  claim,  and  an  earnest 
effort  to  understand  this  special  revelation,  is  to  that 
extent  a  keeping  of  the  law.  Every  neglected  Bible 
should  thrill  the  conscience  with  the  charge,  "  You  have 
not  yet  taken  the  first  step  towards  obeying  this  com- 
mandment." 

God's  revelation  of  Himself  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  is 
progressive.  It  had  reached  a  certain  stage  at  the  time 
the  law  was  given  at  Sinai,  sufficiently  clear  and  full  to 
make  man's  duty  plain.  But  it  did  not  stop  there.  It 
unfolded  through  succeeding  ages  until  it  culminated  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  So  this  first  commandment 
makes  it  our  duty  to  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
To  reject  Christ  is  not  merely  to  reject  an  offer  of 
mercy.  It  is  to  refuse  to  receive  the  complete  revela- 
tion of  God  made  in  His  Son.  It  is  to  say,  "We  will 
not  have  this  God  revealed  in  Christ  as  our  God."  But 
there  is  no  other  God.  We  are  to  know  God  as 
revealed  in  Nature,  in  His  Law,  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
and  in  His  Son,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  one  living 
and  true  God. 

Now,  man  is  capable  of  closer  relationship  to  God 
than  mere  knowledge  of  His  existence  and  character. 
He  has  powers  of  loving  God,  of  coming  into  the  closest 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  I9 

personal  fellowship  with  God.  This  will  in  its  exercise 
make  more  intimate  and  full  our  knowledge  of  Him. 
You  know  of  the  existence  of  the  president  of  the 
nation  and  something  of  his  character  by  his  acts  and 
general  reputation.  The  knowledge  you  have  of  the 
man  you  are  well  acquainted  with  is  more  full  and 
accurate.  But  this  knowledge  is  surpassed  by  that  you 
have  of  your  friend.  Your  love  for  him  clearly  dis- 
cerns qualities  which  his  love  for  you  frankly  reveals. 
You  know  his  real  worth  and  highly  value  your  rela- 
tionship to  him.  It  is  to  such  intimate  knowledge  of 
love,  to  such  fellowship  of  love,  that  God  calls  us  by  the 
power  He  has  given  us,  and  by  this  commandment. 
He  reveals  Himself  as  a  person,  in  personal  relationship 
with  man,  as  possessing  in  Himself  qualities  of  charac- 
ter worthy  of  our  love,  and  as  being  desirous  of  our 
love,  a  revelation  shining  in  this  commandment  as  it 
does  in  all  nature  and  in  Scripture,  and  especially  in 
him  "who  is  the  image  of  the  invisible  God."  Our 
highest  duty  and  real  nobility  are  to  give  Him  supreme 
allegiance  and  find  our  highest  good  in  Him  alone,  the 
love  recognizing  and  responding  to  the  loveliness  of 
God,  the  love  that  completely  trusts  Him,  and  finds  its 
highest  delight  in  Him. 

The  prohibitory  form  of  the  commandment  further 
shows  that  there  are  tendencies  in  our  nature  to  break 
this  law  of  our  being.  We  are  prone  to  give  supreme 
allegiance  to  and  find  our  highest  good  in  some  person 
or  thing  other  than  God.  Humiliating  as  it  may  be,  a 
little  reflection  will  force  us  to  confess  that  the  com- 
mandment is  right  in  taking  this  form,  that  these  ten- 
dencies exist,  and  that  they  are  so  strong  that  they  have 


20  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

often  led  us  and  do  still  lead  us  to  break  the  law 
Wherever  this  written  commandment  is  not  known  in  the 
world  to-day  men  are  worshiping  imaginary  beings  as 
their  gods.  The  principle  of  oui-  nature  as  God  created 
it,  the  power  of  knowing  and  loving  Him,  has  been 
overruled  by  these  tendencies,  which  from  some  source 
or  other,  certainly  not  from  God,  have  come  upon  us. 

Neither  are  we  free  from  these  tendencies  thougli  we 
have  the  knowledge  of  His  law.  Are  we  not  prone  to 
ignore  God,  or  to  rest  with  an  insufficient  knowledge  of 
Him,  or  to  imagine  Him  other  than  he  has  revealed  him- 
self? Do  not  the  fields  of  even  religious  controversy 
afford  sad  evidence  of  the  tendency  to  magnify  some 
one  or  more  features  of  His  character  out  of  proportion 
with  all  the  others,  so  making  a  caricature  of  Him  ? 
The  superstition  of  worshiping  imaginary  gods  has 
passed  away,  but  that  of  attributing  effects  to  things 
with  which  there  is  not  the  slightest  evidence  of  their 
having  any  connection,  still  lingers.  There  is  quite  a 
prevalent  opinion  that  Friday  is  an  unlucky  day,  and 
that  it  is  unlucky  to  see  the  new  moon  over  the  left 
shoulder,  and  many  who  speak  light  of  it  still  are 
influenced  by  it.  How  a  horse-shoe  became  a  symbol 
of  good  luck,  I  do  not  know.  Perhaps  from  the  old 
belief  that  a  hot  horse-shoe  would  drive  a  witch  out  of 
a  churn,  and  now  this  symbol  is  nailed  to  the  masts  of 
many  vessels  sailing  our  rivers,  and  over  the  doors  of 
mnny  of  our  houses,  and  many  young  people  are  very 
careful  to  stand  directly  under  a  floral  horse-shoe  as 
they  enter  the  married  life.  Of  course  all  fear  of  ill 
luck  and  all  hope  of  good  luck  as  dependent  upon  any 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  21 

such  things  are  the  opposite  of  trusting  in  God,  "our 
Sun  and  Shield." 

Fortune-tellers  still  live,  and  live  off  their  victims 
whom  they  torment  with  foolish  hopes  or  causeless 
fears.  What  reason  is  there  to  believe  that  the  devil 
knows  anything  about  our  future,  or  that  God  who 
hides  it  from  us  would  reveal  it  to  a  fortune-teller  ? 
Those  who  are  sick  with  complicated  diseases  or 
involved  in  perplexing  troubles  sometimes  consult  clair- 
voyants, whose  astounding  claim  of  possessing  a  sense 
other  than  the  senses  and  reasoning  power  of  ordinary 
men  is  sustained  alone  by  a  few  happy  conjectures  and 
a  great  amount  of  clap-trap.  Surely  to  consult  them  is 
a  belief  in  their  possessing  supernatural  power  without 
a  particle  of  evidence — to  that  extent  a  kindred  super- 
stition with  the  belief  in  imaginary  gods.  Spiritualism, 
too,  in  our  day  enchains  many  dupes,  an  attempt  to 
learn  of  the  spirit  world  by  communication  with 
departed  spirits,  brought  about  by  the  aid  of  mediums 
whose  base  tricks  have  been  so  often  exposed.  God 
gives  us  present  duty  and  all  the  light  we  need  about 
the  future,  about  the  nature  of  present  trouble  and  the 
conditions  of  the  spirit  world.  Obedience  to  Him  and 
complete  trust  in  His  wisdom  and  love  will  free  us  from 
all  fortune-telling,  clairvoyance  and  spiritualism ;  they 
would  have  no  more  influence  upon  us  than  do  the 
almost  forgotten  gods  of  high  Olympus.  That  these 
superstitions  still  linger  in  our  da}^,  and  are  present  to 
some  extent  in  our  minds,  shows  that  the  prohibitory 
form  of  this  commandment  is  still  needed  by  us. 

But  even  if  we  had  full  and  accurate  knowledge  of 
the  one  true  God,  and  were   free   from    all    debasing 


22  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

superstitions,  we  would  still  have  tendencies  drawing 
us  away  from  entire  consecration  to  Him.  Alas  !  there 
are  other  idolatries  besides  trust  in  imaginary  gods,  or 
in  false  conceptions  of  the  true  God.  Whatever  we 
value  more  than  God,  and  delight  in  more  than  we 
delight  in  Him,  is  our  god.  Wherever  a  man  makes 
the  gratification  of  himself  his  chief  aim,  he  takes  the 
crown  belonging  to  God  and  crowns  himself.  He  is  his 
own  god — a  kind  of  idolatry  to  which,  I  fear,  we  will 
all  have  to  confess  a  great  proneness. 

There  is  a  strong  tendency  to  make  the  gratification 
of  even  the  lowest  portion  of  our  nature  our  chief  aim 
and  greatest  delight.  We  are  not  yet  free  from  the 
danger  of  belonging  to  the  class  the  Apostle  describes 
in  such  plain  words,  "  whose  god  is  their  belly,"  which 
includes  not  only  gluttons  and  drunkards,  but  all  those 
who,  however  refined  the  way,  make  sensual  enjoyment 
their  highest  good.  It  is  obvious  this  not  only  dishon- 
ors God  but  degrades  man,  and  deprives  him  of  the 
highest  happiness  even  in  his  lower  nature.  He  only 
can  have  the  highest  animal  enjoyment  who  remembers 
that  he  is  more  than  an  animal,  and,  honoring  God, 
seeks  to  discover  and  obey  His  laws  of  healthful  living. 

One  would  think  that  the  exercise  of  our  reasoning 
powers  would  lead  the  soul  to  God,  yet  there  is  a  very 
strong  tendency  to  make  this  exercise  end  in  itself. 
Many  of  the  great  thinkers  of  the  world  have  been 
worshipers  of  their  own  powers  of  thinking,  and  Ave 
who  can  with  difficulty  follow  their  great  thoughts  are 
prone  to  worship  our  own  intellectual  culture  and 
acquirements,  and  to  claim  a  considerable  amount  of 
incense  from  our  fellow  men.    Centering  in  itself — mak' 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  23 

ing  the  intellectual  life  our  highest  good — debars  the 
intellect  from  its  highest  attainment,  which  can  only 
come  from  following  the  thoughts  of  God  up  to  the 
knowledge  of  Himself. 

How  prone  we  are  to  make  our  loved  ones  idols ! 
Now  the  idolatry  of  loved  ones  does  not  consist  in  lov- 
ing them  too  much,  but  'n  not  loving  them  enough. 
God  gives  us  our  home,  '^the  dearest  spot  on  earth,"  he 
gives  us  our  loved  ones  and  U3  to  them  and  continues 
us  to  each  other,  and  he  makes  us  spiritual  beings  hav- 
ing the  power  of  loving  and  being  worthy  of  the  love 
of  each  other.  Loving  each  other  truly  we  are  learn- 
ing to  love  God.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  father  who 
allows  his  child  to  so  absorb  his  love  that  he  has  no 
thought  of  or  love  for  God,  does  not  Iv^^ve  his  child  as  an 
immortal  spiritual  being,  nor  does  he  regard  himself  as 
such.  His  idolatry  degrades  himself  and  his  child  as 
well  as  dishonors  God. 

Above  the  animal,  the  intellectual  Ritjd  the  social 
nature  in  man,  is  the  spiritual.  To  ignore  this  nature 
or  dwarf  it  is  to  degrade  man  To  have  this  nature  in 
healthful  control  and  giving  supreme  allegiaiice  to  God, 
is  to  bring  the  whole  man  into  obedience  to  this  com- 
mandment; is  to  ennoble  his  social,  inspire  hM  intellec- 
tual, and  elevate  his  animal  natures;  is  to  reach  vne  noble 
manhood  God  designs  for  us.  Lovers  of  perennal  dis- 
play, of  fine  dress  and  jewels,  lovers  of  mone3%  little  or 
much,  the  grasping  to  have  or  to  hold,  lovers  of  our- 
selves in  whatever  direction — how  wide  the  contrast 
between  all  such  and  lovers  of  God  !  Alas,  my  broth- 
ers, to  which  of  these  contrasted  classes  are  we  most 
prone?     See,  too,  the  greatness  of  the  sin.     God,  who 


24  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

made  us,  and  continues  us  in  being,  and  constantly 
blesses  us,  and  who  has  a  right  to  our  service — God, 
who  is  the  best  of  beings,  who  is  worthy  of  our  service 
— God,  who  commands  and  so  greatly  desires  our  serv- 
ice, is  neglected,  and  some  object  which  has  no  right, 
is  not  worthy  and  cannot  appreciate  our  service,  is  ele- 
vated to  his  throne.  And  although  we  may  not  fully 
recognize  the  greatness  of  our  sin,  God  knows  wliat 
unworthy  object  has  taken  His  rightful  ph^ce  in  our 
affections.  It  is  obvious  likewise  that  the  only  possi- 
ble way  of  being  freed  from  the  degradation  and  misery 
of  such  sin  is  to  have  the  proper  relation  of  man  to 
God  full}^  re-established. 

It  is  claimed  by  some  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has 
abolished  the  Ten  Commandments.  On  the  contrary 
Christ  claims  that  he  came  not  to  destroy  but  to  fulfill  the 
law.  The  law  can  give  no  ability  to  keep  it— that  is  not 
its  province.  It  shows  the  rule  of  duty,  awakens  the  con- 
science, holds  before  us  God's  lofty  ideal,  incites  all  the 
power  within  us  to  highest  action  ;  but  here  its  mission 
ends.  It  evokes  all  the  power  within,  but  confers  no 
power  from  without.  The  same  thing  is  true  of  the 
teaching  and  example  of  Christ.  However  high  and 
noble  they  are,  even  perfect,  they  are  limited  in  their 
effect  by  the  capacity  of  the  disciple.  They  incite, 
they  draw  out  all  the  power  within,  but  they  give  no 
ability  to  attain,  they  confer  no  power  from  without. 
Now  Christ  brings  to  us  power  from  without,  the  power 
we  need.  "  The  law  was  given  by  Moses,  but  grace  and 
truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ."  Christ  reveals  and  brings 
to  us  the  true  nature  of  God,  the  grace  we  need,  for- 
giving sin  and  conferring  new  life.     The  teaching  and 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  2$ 

example  of  Christ  and  the  law  they  so  clearly  set  forth 
should  lead  us  to  see  our  smfulness  and  to  seek  forgive- 
ness and  new  life  in  Christ ;  and  this  new  life  in  Christ 
follows  his  teaching  and  example  to  the  complete  keep- 
ing of  the  law.  That  it  obeys  the  law  not  reluctantly 
but  heartily  so  much  the  more  honors  the  law.  The 
skilled  carpenter  loving  his  work  does  not  havo  to  be 
told  how  to  hold  his  plane  as  does  the  obstinate  appren- 
tice, but  nevertheless  he  holds  it  according  to  the  rule, 
and  the  more  thoroughly  since  he  does  not  regard  it  a 
hardship  but  a  pleasure.  Christ  abolish  this  command- 
ment !  and  God  no  longer  claim  the  highest  place  in 
man's  thoughts  and  affections  !  No,  never  !  Man  may 
degrade  himself,  but  God  will  never  degrade  him. 
Christ  came  bringing  divine  power  to  restore  man  from 
degradation  to  the  high  nobility  of  keeping  this  com- 
mandment. His  glorious  work  is  not  to  set  it  aside, 
but  to  reestablish  it  as  the  rule  of  life  to  all  his  follow- 
ers. Now  we  shall  see  that  the  remaining  command- 
ments of  the  first  table  not  merely  follow  this  first  one, 
but  so  flow  from  it  and  are  so  vitally  related  with  it, 
that  what  is  so  obviously  true  of  it  is  true  also  of  them, 
and  that  Christ  instead  of  abolishing  any  of  them  has 
glorified  them  all.  May  we  so  believe  in  Christ  and  so 
regard  the  law  that  it  shall  become  more  and  more  our 
delight  to  do  the  will  of  God ! 

Now  as  we  separate  from  one  another,  let  us 
each  one  take  with  us  the  impressive  truth  that  God 
speaks  in  this  commandment  not  only  to  the  race  of 
men,  but  to  each  member  of  the  race ;  that  He  selects 
each  one  us,  and  addresses  us  personally,  "  Thou  shalt 
have  no  other  gods  before  me."  It  is  as  if  each  one  of 
us  stood  alone  before  God. 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 

"  Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image,  or  any  like- 
ness of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven  above  or  that  is  in  the  earth 
beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  water  under  the  earth.  Thou  shalt  not 
bow  down  thyself  to  them  nor  serve  them  :  for  I,  the  Lord  thy  God, 
am  a  jealous  God,  visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the 
children  unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate  me : 
and  showing  mercy  unto  the  thousandth  generation  of  them  that 
love  me  and  keep  my  commandments." — Ex.  20  :  4 — 6. 

Inscriptions  in  hieroglyphics  and  pictures  on  the  mon- 
uments and  tombs  of  Egypt,  recently  discovered  and 
deciphered,  confirm  the  Bible  history  that  the  ancient 
Egyptians  were  idolaters.  Surrounding  nations  were 
also  idolaters.  There  was  a  strong  tendency  in  the 
Israelites,  by  their  own  confession,  to  idolatry.  This 
religious  condition  was  not  local  and  temporary,  we 
may  rather  say  it  was  constant  and  universal.  History 
tells  but  one  story,  that  in  former  times  all  the  tribes 
and  nations  of  men  were  idolaters,  that  they  worshiped 
imaginary  gods  by  means  of  images,  and  to  a  great 
extent  the  images  themselves.  This  religious  condition 
prevailing  in  former  times  prevails  as  well  to-day.  With 
the  exception  of  three  large  classes  our  fellow  men  have 
been  in  all  the  past  and  are  to-day  idolaters. 

How  can  this  strong  tendency  to  idolatry  be  ex- 
plained? One  class  of  thinkers,  rejecting  the  Bible 
account,  say  that  man's  original  condition  was  dense 
ignorance,  and  that  the  various  systems  of  idolatry  are 
his  groping  after  the  idea  of  God,  until  at  length  he 
reaches  the  idea  of  a  supreme  spiritual  Being.  Some 
26 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS,  2/ 

of  these  thinkers  say  there  is  such  a  Being,  whom  man 
has  at  length  discovered  :  others  hold  that  there  is  no 
such  Being,  that  man  has  only  obtained  by  all  his  feeble 
groping  an  idea.  These  evolution  thinkers  have 
evolved  their  theories  out  of  their  own  brains  without 
the  slightest  basis  of  fact.  There  is  no  evidence  that 
such  a  process  is  going  on  among  the  heathen  nations 
to-day.  Some  of  these  nations  are  highly  gifted  intel- 
lectually, and  on  this  theory  ought  to  have  come  to  the 
worship  of  one  God  long  before  this.  Neither  is  there 
any  evidence  of  any  people  ever  having  lifted  themselves 
out  of  idolatry.  Nations  have  grafted  other  systems  on 
to  their  own,  their  intellectual  leaders  have  become 
skeptical  with  regard  to  the  whole  matter,  here  and 
there  an  individual  has  seemed  to  grasp  the  idea  of  one 
God,  but  no  large  class  of  men — certainly  no  nation — 
has  ever  cast  aside  idolatry  for  the  worship  of  one  God. 
The  three  large  classes  of  men,  some  embracing  nations, 
who  in  the  past  and  now  worship  one  God  without  the 
use  of  images,  the  Jews,  the  Christians,  and  the 
Mohammedans,,  all  trace  this  distinguishing  trait  to 
these  Ten  Commandments.  This  commandment  shows 
no  trace  of  feeling  its  way  to  the  true  God  and  grad- 
ually casting  off  features  of  idolatry,  but  existing  in 
that  early  age  of  dense  idolatry  it  with  the  utmost  pre- 
cision prohibits  the  whole  system.  The  worship  of  the 
one  God  is  not  therefore  a  growth  from  within,  but  a 
lifting  up  from  without ;  not  an  evolution  from  idolatry, 
but  a  revelation  from  heaven. 

The  only  other  conceivable  explanation  of  the  uni- 
versal tendency  of  the  race  to  idolatry  is  that  of  the 
Bible.     It  teaches  that  idolatry  is  the  willful  departure 


28  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

of  a  sinful  race  from  the  worship  and  knowledge  of  the 
true  God ;  that  having  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God 
from  nature  they  refused  to  honor  him,  but  changed 
the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God  for  the  likeness  of 
an  image  of  corruptible  man,  and  of  birds  and  four- 
footed  beasts  and  creeping  things ;  they  refused  to 
retain  God  in  their  knowledge  and  made  this  base  ex- 
change. The  tendency  reveals  the  effort  of  the  sinful 
heart  to  get  rid  of  the  moral  excellencies  of  a  spiritual 
God.  Men  were  held  in  restraint  by  the  thought  of  a 
spiritual  Being  infinitely  above  the  appetites  and 
passions  of  a  sensual  life,  so  they  put  him  out  of  their 
minds.  They  could  not  banish  the  thought  of  the 
divine  power,  nor  was  there  much  reason  for  such  an 
effort,  but  they  succeeded  largely  in  banishing 
the  thought  of  the  divine  holiness.  The  gods 
they  worshiped  had  like  appetites  and  passions 
with  themselves.  The  fleshly  nature  in  man  could 
degrade  the  spiritual  but  one  degree  further,  compel  it 
to  bow  down  to  objects  of  sense,  to  images.  The  edu- 
cated among  idolaters  claim  that  they  do  not  worship 
the  image  or  thing  but  the  being  or  power  dwelling 
in  the  thing  or  represented  by  the  image,  but  the  mass 
of  the  people  worship  the  image  itself.  While  idolatry 
thus  expresses  the  moral  condition  of  the  people,  and 
confirms  it,  the  various  systems  also  show  the  intel- 
lectual endowment  of  the  different  nations.  In  some 
of  these  systems  there  are  distinct  traces  of  the  idea  of 
a  Supreme  Being,  though  he  is  not  perfect,  nor  is  the 
highest  worship  given  to  him ;  but  these  traces  grow 
faint  in  other  systems,  showing  greater  intellectual  and 
moral   degradation.      But   the   spiritual   in   man   still 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  29 

exists.  It  is  not  destroyed  by  sin,  only  degraded.  It 
cannot  get  rid  of  the  truth  inwrought  in  its  nature, 
"  There  is  a  God  whom  I  must  worship."  The  fleshly 
nature  may  say,  "  Well,  then  worship  through  me,  and 
in  the  way  I  dictate,"  but  can  go  no  further.  Man  is 
a  spiritual  being,  he  has  gods  of  some  kind,  the  most 
degraded  people  still  have  their  idols :  he  is  a  moral 
being,  the  effort  to  throw  off  restraint  shows  it.  The 
commingling  voices  of  the  tribes  and  nations  of  men  in 
all  ages  speak  the  clear  and  distinct  confession,  "  There 
is  a  God,"  though  it  can  be  heard  only  as  an  undertone 
to  the  tumultuous  and  sullen  roar  of  the  race,  "  We 
will  not  have  the  true  God  to  reign  over  us." 

That  idolatry  arises  from  the  sinful  nature  of  man, 
explains  the  fact  also  that  those  people  who  have  had 
a  revelation  of  the  true  God  long  continued  to  them 
have  constantly  manifested  a  tendency  to  fall  back  into 
it.  The  Israelites  corrupted  themselves  with  idolatry 
at  the  foot  of  Mount  Sinai,  and  after  they  were  settled 
in  their  own  land  they  frequently  fell  into  the  worship 
of  the  idols  of  the  neighboring  nations.  The  Christian 
Church  also  showed  the  same  tendency  very  early  in 
her  history.  She  brought  images  and  pictures  to  orna- 
ment her  church  buildings,  to  instruct  the  ignorant,  and 
to  incite  the  devout  spirit  in  the  worship  of  the  true 
God.  The  images  of  Christ  and  the  Apostles,  of  the 
Virgin  Mary  and  the  Saints,  are  now  so  used  in  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church.  But  while  this  use  of  the 
images  may  be  claimed  by  the  intelligent  and  by  the 
councils  of  the  Church,  and  while  the  worship  given  to 
the  Saints  may  in  their  view  and  practice  be  far  inferior 
to  that  given  to  God,  still  this  practice  so  explained  is 


30  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

a  decided  drift  perilously  near  to  the  verge  of  idolatry, 
and  it  is  to  be  feared  that  large  n^  ambers  of  the  less 
intelligent  and  devout  have  gone  over  the  verge  and 
that  the  constant  tendency  is  in  that  direction. 

This  commandment  is  expressed  in  the  prohibitory 
form.  We  have  seen  the  decided  tendency  in  fallen 
human  nature  it  is  designed  to  check.  Now  turn  to 
the  positive  command.  We  find  it  expressed  clearly 
and  concisely  by  our  Savior :  "  God  is  a  Spirit,  and 
they  that  worship  him  must  worship  in  spirit  and  in 
truth."  Prohibiting  bodily  prostration  to  a  visible  idol, 
it  commands  spiritual  worship  of  the  invisible  God. 
Our  old  English  word,  "  worship,"  brings  out  the  idea 
of  the  spirit's  attitude  to  God  strongly  and  beautifully. 
It  is  a  combination  of  the  words  "worth"  and  "ship" 
or  "  shape."  Man,  a  spiritual  being,  is  to  be  brought 
into  a  shape  worthy  of  God,  the  Spirit.  Two  highly 
important  truths  are  embraced  in  this  statement.  The 
first  is  that  the  spirit  in  man  is  to  be  in  a  shape  worthy 
of  God.  This  can  only  be  when  it  is  in  full  harmony 
with  God,  when  it  possesses  moral  likeness  to  him. 
The  second  is  that  the  whole  man  is  to  be  in  a  shape 
worthy  of  God,  that  his  spirit  possessing  moral  likeness 
to  God  is  to  be  in  full  and  constant  command  of  the 
whole  man.  The  man  is  not  to  be  ruled  by  his  animal 
nature,  nor  by  his  intellectual  nature,  nor  even  by  his 
social  and  domestic  nature,  but  by  his  spiritual  nature : 
and  this  enthroned  spiritual  nature  is  to  shine  in  the 
likeness  to  God. 

Surely  here  is  a  great  commandment.  It  describes 
the  nature  of  man  as  coming  pure  from  the  Creator's 
hand,  and  as  the  Redeemer  designs  to  restore  it.     It 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  31 

shows  the  noble  ideal  God  still  holds  before  man  and 
tne  high  happiness  he  desires  for  him,  when  all  his 
varied  powers  shall  be  in  full  and  harmonious  exercise 
in  the  worship  of  himself,  a  spirit  possessing  the  highest 
moral  excellence.  We  are  commanded  to  ever  hold 
aloft  the  thought  of  God  in  our  minds ;  infinitely  above 
all  the  things  our  senses  behold,  which  are  the  creations 
of  his  power.  He  exists,  a  pure  spirit,  of  absolutely 
perfect  character.  We  are  to  so  reverence,  adore  and 
love  Him  that  we  give  Him  the  highest  honor  possible 
from  created  spirits,  that  of  growing  like  Him  in  char- 
acter. We  are  to  give  Him  this  worship  so  thoroughly 
that  all  our  lower  powers  are  enlisted  in  it  and  con- 
stantly under  its  control  and  so  become  spiritually 
ennobled.  The  man  in  shape  worthy  of  God ;  this  is 
the  highest  "fitness  of  things  "  among  the  powers  within 
the  man,  his  highest  blessedness,  his  noblest  being,  and 
this  God  requires  of  us.  It  is  obvious  that  the  ten- 
dency to  have  the  fleshly  nature  assume  the  ascendency 
over  the  spiritual,  is  not  confined  to  heathen  lands.  To 
be  inconstant  in  the  worship  of  God,  confining  our 
attempted  adoration  of  Him  to  stated  times,  to  be  con- 
tented with  the  formal  acts  of  his  worship,  and  to  neg- 
lect His  worship  altogether,  are  some  of  the  ways  in 
which  it  manifests  itself. 

The  commandment  is  of  such  vital  importance,  and 
the  tendency  to  transgress  it  is  so  strong,  that  God  has 
added  to  it  a  most  solemn  appeal  which  demands  our 
careful  attention.  God  declares  himself  a  jealous  God. 
We  are  to  leave  out  of  consideration  all  low  features 
frequently  associated  with  human  jealousy — there  can 
be  no  envy,  nor  unjust  suspicion,  nor  selfishness,  nor 


32  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

anything  unworthy  in  the  jealousy  of  God.  A  father 
has  with  great  love  and  care  trained  his  children  in 
virtue,  and  a  corrupt  and  fascinating  youth  seeks  com- 
panionship with  them.  The  father  guards  his  children 
with  jealousy  against  such  influence.  A  husband  loves 
his  wife,  and  a  corrupt  and  fascinating  man  seeks  her 
society.  The  husband  guards  with  jealous  care  the  wife 
he  loves.  Not  only,  or  even  mainly  does  the  father,  or 
husband,  think  of  his  own  honor,  but  mainly  of  the 
welfare  of  dear  ones.  Jealousy  seeks  to  guard  the 
children  and  the  wife  from  degradation  and  ruin.  So 
God,  the  great  Father,  the  loving  Husband  of  his  peo- 
ple, guards  not  his  own  honor  only,  but  therein  and 
mainly  the  welfare  of  those  he  loves  against  a  fascinat- 
ing corruption  which  would  degrade  and  ruin  them. 
"  I  the  Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous  God." 

This  feature  of  his  character  is  seen  in  his  visiting 
punishment  for  disobedience  and  rewards  for  obe- 
dience through  successive  generations.  The  appeal  is 
to  one  of  the  strongest  and  noblest  emotions  in  man, 
his  love  for  his  children.  Fathers,  guard  against  the 
tendency  to  idolatry !  It  will  degrade  you  not  only, 
but  your  children.  Fathers,  bring  yourselves  into  a 
shape  worthy  of  God !  Worship  Him  in  spirit  and  in 
truth  I  It  will  ennoble  you  not  only,  but  your  children. 
Under  the  government  of  God  the  race  of  man  exists 
in  successive  generations,  and  one  generation  receives 
from  those  that  have  passed  not  merely  its  being,  but 
largely  its  character  and  conditions.  The  character  is 
not  received,  however,  to  such  a  degree  as  to  interfere 
with  responsibility  nor  to  preclude  great  changes,  nor 
are  the  conditions  fixed.     Each  generation  may  reject 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  33 

the  evil  and  retain  the  good  of  its  inheritance,  may- 
advance  to  greater  good,  and  may  then  transmit  its 
improved  character  and  conditions  to  its  successor. 
Under  this  feature  of  the  divine  government  the  race 
of  man  is  distinguished  from  animals  and  may  make 
progress.  The  beaver  builds  his  dam  as  at  the  first,  so 
the  bee  builds  the  cell  for  honey ;  both  are  marvels  of 
construction,  but  no  progress,  no  improvement  is  ever 
made.  While  if  our  fathers  of  but  two  generations 
back  should  return  and  visit  our  harvest  fields  and 
barns,  astonishment  at  new  methods  of  gathering  and 
storing  harvests  would  fill  their  minds,  an  astonishment 
which  would  vastly  increase  as  they  learned  of  railroads 
and  steamships,  of  telegraph  and  telephone.  The  gen- 
eration to-day  enjoys  the  inheritance  of  liberty  and  free 
government  won  by  our  fathers  on  the  battle-fields  of 
the  Revolution.  The  generation  just  taking  the  lead  in 
the  nation's  life  rejoices  in  a  united  and  prosperous 
country,  the  inheritance  which  the  generation  fast  pass- 
ing away  secured  by  toil  and  heroic  self-sacrifice. 
Should  great  dangers  threaten  us  now,  what  would  be 
a  strong  appeal  to  patriotism?  Let  us  defend  the 
inheritance  we  have  received  from  heroic  fathers  and 
transmit  it  unimpaired  and  greatly  improved  to  our 
children — an  appeal  against  low  and  selfish  ease  to 
noble  manhood  in  a  virtuous  cause.  This  is  the  appeal 
of  this  commandment  on  the  highest  plane  of  man's 
well-being. 

This  feature  of  the  divine  government  embraces  indi- 
viduals as  well  as  great  classes  of  men,  and  should  be  very 
solemnly  considered  by  each  one  of  us.    A  man  chooses 
a  vicious  life.     He   therein   impairs   his   constitution, 
3 


34  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

ruins  his  reputation  and  squanders  his  property.  The 
awful  consequences  of  his  sin  do  not  end  with  himself. 
The  wife  and  mother,  while  she  shares  them  to  some 
extent,  may  be  of  reverse  character  and  so  counteract 
largely  the  evil  among  the  children.  But  she  may  be 
weak,  or  possibly  of  the  same  character.  The  strong 
tendency  will  be  for  the  children  to  have  the  same 
vicious  character,  the  impaired  constitution,  certainly  the 
ruined  reputation  and  the  poverty.  Certainly  if  there 
remains  a  spark  of  love  in  that  man's  heart  for  his  wife 
and  children,  the  appeal  of  this  law  is  that  he  should 
reconsider  his  choice  of  a  vicious  life.  There  seem  to 
be  three  great  principles  in  steady  action  in  the  race  and 
among  individuals :  the  principle  of  heredity^  of  physi- 
cal and  mental  and  moral  qualities  of  parents — the  prin- 
ciple of  influence^  by  the  example  and  teaching  accord- 
ing to  the  character  of  the  parents — and  the  principle  of  in- 
heritance of  the  conditions  and  surroundings  made  by  the 
parents  in  the  society  where  they  dwell.  Whether  these 
great  principles  shall  work  disastrously  or  benefically,  is 
for  us  to  choose.  Consider  the  two  classes  described  in 
the  commandment :  ''  Them  that  hate  me."  Sin  is  no 
light  thing.  In  its  essence  it  is  hatred  of  God,  and  so 
has  terrible  consequences.  "  Them  that  love  me  and 
keep  my  commandments."  Love  him  who  has  highest 
excellence.  Keep  his  commandments  which  are  good 
and  lead  to  noble  well-being.  It  is  for  us  to  choose,  and 
we  choose  not  only  for  ourselves,  but  largely  for  our 
children. 

Look  carefully  now  at  a  very  important  feature  of  the 
appeal  which  is  not  brought  out  clearly  in  our  English 
translation.     He  visits  iniquity  ''unto  the  third  and 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  35 

fourth  "  and  shows  mercy  "  unto  the  thousandth,"  the 
commandment  reads.  Our  translators  have  supplied 
the  word  "  generation  "  in  italics  to  the  first  numeral, 
and  evidently  they  were  right  in  doing  so,  but  they 
should  have  supplied  for  the  same  reasons  the  same  word 
to  the  second  numeral :  "  He  visits  iniquity  unto  the 
third  and  fourth  generation^'  "  He  shows  mercy  unto 
the  thousandth  generation.''''  The  third  and  fourth  show 
an  indefinite  number,  the  thousandth  is  also  an  indefi- 
nite number,  but  it  is  a  much  larger  number.  The  prin- 
ciple of  the  divine  government  has  a  very  decided  lean- 
ing to  the  side  of  mercy. 

Now  perhaps  you  will  say ;  "  I  see  that  this  feature 
of  the  divine  government  works  with  absolute  imparti- 
ality, with  strict  justice,  but  I  can  see  no  indication  of 
its  leaning  to  the  side  of  mercy."  Then  look  again  and 
more  closely  at  the  race  and  the  individual.  Look  at 
the  individual  first.  A  child  inherits  an  impaired  con- 
stitution. Two  features  of  the  divine  government 
respond  at  once.  First,  the  restorative  forces  within  the 
child,  the  recuperative  powers  of  man's  nature  ;  and 
second,  the  restorative  forces  without,  the  whole  realm 
of  remedies  and  skill  awakened  in  others  in  their  appli- 
cation. The  child  of  ignorant  parents  is  ignorant.  Two 
features  here  also  are  on  the  side  of  mercy.  The  innate 
thirst  of  the  mind  for  knowledge,  present  though  weak 
in  the  child ;  and  the  intelligence  of  the  community  in 
which  the  child  lives,  the  atmosphere  of  enlightenment 
which  he  must  breathe  while  he  lives.  The  child  of 
irreligious  parents  is  irreligious.  Here,  too,  there  are 
two  principles  on  the  side  of  mercy.  However  corrupt 
he  may  be  there  is  something  in  the  soul  of  the  child 


36  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

at  unrest  for  God  Avhich  may  be  touched  into  power ; 
and  the  surrounding  Christianity — the  Christ  who  has 
loved  and  died  to  save — lives  in  many  believing  hearts 
through  whom  he  seeks  to  save  the  child. 

Now,  concerning  the  race  it  may  be  said  that  the  limit 
of  degradation  seems  to  be  fixed,  but  the  limit  of  progress 
cannot  be  even  imagined.  How  far  man  will  advance 
in  the  control  and  use  of  the  powers  of  nature,  we  who 
witness  to-day  the  stupendous  achievements  of  Chris- 
tian civilization  will  not  even  dare  to  conjecture.  And 
how  far  man  will  be  lifted  up,  in  the  knowledge  and  fel- 
lowship of  God,  the  Bible  tells  us  that  we  cannot  even 
imagine.  In  the  whole  race  also  the  two  principles  we 
have  seen  working  in  individuals  on  the  side  of  mercy 
exist.  However  corrupted  in  idolatry  men  may  become, 
however  great  the  ascendency  of  the  flesh  over  the  spirit 
in  man,  the  spirit  still  exists  and  in  its  very  nature 
cannot  be  satisfied  until  it  finds  and  laj^s  hold  upon  the 
living  God.  There  is  something  within  men  that  can- 
not be  satisfied  with  idolatry,  or  with  sensual  corrup- 
tion, something  that  may  be  touched  into  strong  aud 
glorious  life.  And  there  is  something  to  touch  it.  God 
makes  the  appeal  of  his  infinite  love  in  Jesus  Christ, 
who  has  at  infinite  cost  taken  away  sin  and  brought  in 
new  life  to  all  who  receive  him.  And  we  who  receive 
him,  as  he  lives  in  us,  will  touch  all  the  dark  souls  we 
can  reach  with  his  light  and  life.  Our  fathers  were  idol- 
ators  under  tlie  gloomy  German  forests  and  on  the 
stormy  shores  of  England.  Their  spirits  were  touched 
by  the  love  of  God  in  Christ  and  they  turned  from  idols  to 
the  worship  of  the  true  God.  We  have  received  from  them 
the  elevation  and  happiness  of  our  Christian  land.    Let 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  37 

us  cherish  and  transmit  to  our  children  the  glorious 
inheritance,  and  let  us  send  the  light  into  the  whole 
earth.  Let  us,  receiving  forgiveness  and  new  life  in  our 
Savior,  bring  our  whole  being  into  a  shape  worthy  of 
God  in  moral  likeness.  This  will  be  for  the  highest  wel- 
faifcj  of  our  own  souls,  of  our  children,  of  our  land,  and 
of  the  world. 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 

**  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain ;  for 
the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that  taketh  his  name  in  vain.'* — 
Ex.  20  :  7 

The  law  of  God  is  designed  to  exercise  control  over 
the  whole  man.  It  would  be  very  imperfect  if  it  did 
not  govern  his  speech.  By  speech  man  expresses  the 
condition  of  his  mind  and  heart,  and  such  expression 
generally  tends  to  strengthen  that  condition.  By 
speech  he  influences  his  fellow  man.  The  command- 
ments not  merely  follow  one  the  other,  but  are  closely 
related  with  each,  other.  One  flows  from  the  other  and 
leads  on  to  the  next  until  we  see  the  whole  nature  of 
man  under  the  reign  of  one  law.  The  first  precept 
commands  us  to  have  the  true  God  alone  for  our  God. 
The  second  precept  commands  us  to  worship  the  true 
God  who  is  a  spirit  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  These  two 
commands  tell  us  how  we  ought  to  think  and  feel  to- 
ward God.  If  there  was  but  one  individual  man  in 
existence,  and  he  was  speechless,  these  commands  would 
describe  his  nature  and  make  plain  his  duty.  It  would 
be  right  for  him  to  hold  God  supreme,  and  to  have  his 
spirit  in  a  shape  worthy  of  God  in  moral  likeness  and 
in  control  of  all  his  powers.  Now  the  third  command 
shows  man  at  the  head  of  the  material  creation  with  the 
crowning  glory  of  intelligent  speech,  and  as  a  social 
being  possessing  the  power  of  speech  as  the  highest 
instrument  of  his  social  nature.     God  reveals  himself  to 

38 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  39 

him  by  word,  by  name,  as  to  a  speaking  being,  making 
language  a  bond  of  union  between  Him  and  man.  God 
commands  him  to  use  this  great  gift  in  his  worship,  in 
honoring  Him. 

The  tongue  is  the  glory  of  man,  and  the  glory  of  the 
tongue  is  to  voice  the  praises  of  God.  All  nature  praises 
God  as  it  obeys  his  laws.  The  sun  and  the  stars  in 
their  courses  praise  Him  in  notes  of  light — music  our 
dull  ears  may  not  hear.  The  earth  with  her  myriad 
voices  praises  Him;  the  deep-toned  ocean,  the  quiet 
music  of  the  streams,  the  gentle  notes  of  the  winds,  the 
storms  with  thunder  peals,  unite  in  a  grand  hymn  of 
praise  ;  but  it  is  unintelligent.  The  birds  with  sweet 
songs  greet  the  morning  light,  and  all  the  creatures  of 
God  lift  up  their  voices  to  Him ;  but  this  praise  of 
animate  creation  lacks  intelligence.  Man  stands  at  the 
head  of  creation  to  take  up  its  many  notes  of  praise  and 
give  them  intelligent  utterance.  He  stands  thus  not  as 
a  single  individual,  a  great  High  Priest,  but  as  a  race 
whose  myriad  voices  are  to  join  and  mingle  in  a  vast 
chorus  of  intelligent  and  harmonious  praise.  We  are 
to  speak  of  Him  and  to  Him  with  adoration.  He  is  our 
Creator,  Preserver,  Governor  and  Judge.  We  are  to 
speak  of  Him  and  to  Him  with  love  and  praise.  Our 
lips  should  quiver  with  emotion  when  we  speak  of  Him 
who  is  our  Father,  and  our  Savior.  We  are  to  speak  to 
Him  in  His  worship,  and  of  Him  to  each  other  only  in 
such  a  way  as  shall  promote  His  worship  in  our  own  hearts 
and  in  the  hearts  of  others.  These  three  commands 
show  God's  ideal  of  man  unfolding  as  they  advance. 
Man  is  to  give  his  allegience  to  God  alone,  is  to  be  in 
character  worthy  of  God,  and  this  character  is  to  ex- 


40  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

press  itself  in  such  speech  as  shall  praise  God,  confirm 
itself  and  foster  the  same  character  among  one's  fellows. 

The  command  is  in  the  prohibition  form.  Man  has 
broken  this  law,  and  is  prone  to  break  it.  His  voice  is 
silent  often  when  it  should  be  praising  God.  Alas  !  it 
is  often  used  to  speak  lightly  of  God.  All  irreverent 
or  vain  use  of  God's  name  is  forbidden. 

A  name  is  that  word  which  calls  to  mind  the  thing  or 
person  named.  The  name  "  stone  "  sets  apart  a  certain 
kind  of  thing  from  all  other  things.  When  we  use  it  or 
hear  it  we  do  not  think  of  a  tree  or  of  anything  else  but 
that  single  kind  of  thing.  So  the  name  "  man  "  calls 
to  mind  a  particular  kind  of  being,  and  no  other.  So 
the  name  of  an  individual  calls  to  mind  a  person 
separate  from  all  others.  The  name  of  God  therefore 
is  that  word  or  those  descriptive  words  which  call  to 
mind  the  Being  named.  So  I  cannot  speak  the  name 
of  God  without  referring  directly  to  the  person  who 
bears  it ;  and  if  others  hear  me  I  bring  before  their 
thought  that  one  person,  and  no  other.  Hence  the 
Bible  usage  is  that  the  name  of  God  equals  Himself — 
to  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  is  to  call  upon  the 
Lord. 

One  vain  use  of  God's  name  is  calling  Him  to  bear 
witness  to  a  falsehood ;  and  a  reverent  use  of  His  name 
is  calling  Him  to  witness  to  the  truth  in  an  important 
matter.  Oaths  on  proper  occasions  are  commanded  in 
the  Scripture  and  sanctioned  by  the  example  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  when  put  under  oath  by  the 
High  Priest  declared  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God. 
Oaths  are  demanded  in  courts  of  law,  that  the  witness 
will  tell  the  truth,  the  whole  truth  and  nothing  but  the 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  41 

truth.  He  calls  upon  God  who  knows  the  truth  and 
who  hears  what  he  says  to  judge  him  as  he  speaks.  He 
declares  that  he  testifies  not  merely  before  the  human 
court,  but  before  the  great  Judge  of  all.  If  he  lies  he  lies 
not  only  to  man  but  to  God.  It  is  an  act  therefore  of  the 
greatest  solemnity.  The  oath  should  be  administered 
reverently.  I  have  often  heard  the  clerk  of  the  court 
run  over  the  form  hastily  and  slightingly  as  if  it  was 
of  no  consequence,  a  meaningless  ceremony.  Such  con- 
duct is  insulting  to  God  and  calculated  to  defeat  the 
aims  of  justice.  However  administered  when  we  are 
placed  under  oath  we  should  feel  all  the  solemnity  of  an 
act  of  worship  of  God.  Oaths  are  often  required  by 
law  in  connection  with  a  promise,  as  of  an  officer  enter- 
ing upon  his  office.  The  officer  promises  to  faithfully 
discharge  the  duties  of  his  office,  and  then  calls  upon 
God  who  win  witness  every  act  of  his  life  to  be  the 
Judge  of  his  faithfulness. 

An  appeal  to  God  to  bear  witness  to  the  truth  of  our 
declarations  and  to  the  faithful  performance  of  our 
promises  may  be  made  not  only  when  required  by  law 
but  when  justified  by  the  importance  of  the  case.  But 
of  this  we  should  be  very  cautious.  The  matter  should 
be  of  such  great  importance  to  the  glory  of  God  and  to 
the  welfare  of  man,  that  the  appeal  to  God  is  made  an 
act  of  solemn  worship.  Of  course  the  promise  must  be 
for  something  lawful.  A  man  making  a  promise  con- 
firmed by  an  oatli  to  do  something  wrong,  is  in  no  way 
bound  to  do  that  thing,  for  the  simple  reason  that  no 
man  can  bring  himself  under  an  obligation  to  do  wrong. 
The  making  of  the  promise  was  wrong  and  calls  for 
jcepentance;  the  taking  of  an  oath  upon  such  a  promise, 


42  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

important  as  it  may  be,  even  if  it  extends  to  the  half  of 
Herod's  kingdom,  is  wrong,  and  calls  for  repentance. 
It  is  taking  God's  name  in  vain  to  ask  Him  to  witness 
our  wrong  doing.  It  is  not  likely  that  the  importance 
of  a  private  matter  will  ever  make  it  our  duty  to  appeal 
to  God,  but  we  are  at  any  time  liable  to  be  called  as 
witnesses  in  courts  of  law,  or  to  serve  on  juries,  or  in 
some  public  office.  We  should  have  clear  views  of  the 
oaths  we  may  be  required  to  take.  They  are  solemn 
acts  wherein  we  appeal  to  God  to  hold  us  to  a  strict 
account.  We  call  upon  Him  to  witness  that  we  will 
be  truthful  and  faithful,  and  to  judge  us  according  to 
our  action  in  His  sight. 

While  it  is  clear  that  the  taking  of  the  name  of  God  in 
vain  applies  to  false  swearing  in  important  matters,  it  is 
as  clear  that  it  applies  to  the  whole  awful  field  of  'pro- 
fanity— the  trivial,  rash,  and  cursing  use  of  the  name  of 
God  in  ordinary  conversation,  which  is  the  reverse  of 
honoring  God  in  our  speech.  The  minister  probably 
hears  less  swearing  than  any  man  in  the  community. 
Profane  persons  seem  to  have  more  respect  for  him  than 
they  have  for  God,  and  if  they  venture  on  an  oath  it  is 
with  bated  breath  ;  and  yet  the  minister  hears  enough 
of  it  to  know  that  the  sin  is  terribly  prevalent  even  in 
this  Christian  community.  A  man  uses  the  name  of 
God  as  an  exclamation  of  surprise  at  some  trivial  thing 
or  assertion  of  another,  or  to  sustain  some  unimportant 
statement  of  his  own.  Generally  he  is  a  frequenter  of 
rum-shops;  sometimes  he  is  otherwise  respectable. 
Sometimes  a  story  is  dull  and  the  story-teller  seasons  it 
with  a  few  oaths,  or  some  joke  is  without  point  and  so 
a  curse  is  used  to  awaken  a  laugh.     Man  calls  God  to 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  43 

make  sport  for  him.  A  man  has  become  accustomed  to 
exaggerate  or  to  speak  falsely,  and  conscious  that  others 
hesitate  to  believe  him  he  continually  calls  upon  the 
truth-loving  God  to  witness  to  his  lies.  Sometimes  one 
becomes  heated  in  argument  or  angry  under  contradic- 
tion or  in  a  quarrel,  and  he  calls  upon  God  to  curse  him 
if  he  is  not  right,  or  in  his  anger  he  calls  upon  God  to 
curse  the  one  who  irritates  him.  Sometimes  he  so  loses 
control  of  himself  that  curses  pour  out  of  his  lips  as  dense 
smoke  out  of  a  chimney. 

But  the  swearer  tries  to  excuse  himself:  "I  did  not 
mean  it.  I  was  only  in  fun."  There  are  some  things 
not  the  proper  subjects  of  fun.  Surely  a  man  ought 
not  to  make  fun  of  God,  or  of  invoking  the  wrath  of 
God  upon  himself  or  others.  But  the  swearer  says: 
"It  is  a  relief  for  me  to  swear.  It  cools  off  my  heated 
spirits."  Often  it  is  the  reverse,  added  fuel  to  the 
flame,  not  only  to  himself  but  to  others,  especially  those 
he  curses.  But  if  it  is  a  relief,  what  is  it  a  relief  of? 
It  is  a  relief  to  the  storm-cloud  to  throw  out  its  light- 
nings, because  it  is  over-charged  with  electricity.  So 
it  is  a  relief  for  you  to  throw  out  your  cursing  because 
you  are  over-charged  with  cursing.  Your  heart  is  so 
full  of  hatred  that  when  stirred  in  anger  it  overflows  in 
curses.  My  brother,  you  had  far  better  bring  such  a  heart 
to  God  with  a  strong  cry  for  mercy.  Again  the  swearer 
says:  "  I  know  it  is  wrong,  but  it  is  a  habit  I  have  fallen 
into  to  such  an  extent  that  I  often  swear  without  know- 
ing it."  Do  you  not  see  that  habit  does  not  excuse  but 
rather  aggravates  the  offense?  No  one  can  become 
wicked  at  once.  Your  habit  only  shows  how  often  you 
have  sinned,  how  far  you  have  gone  down  in  this  kind 


44  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

of  wickedness.  Again  the  swearer  says :  "  I  may  as 
well  say  it  as  to  think  it."  You  should  not  think' an 
oath  or  curse.  But  it  is  worse  to  speak  it.  The  letter 
of  the  law  forbids  the  word,  and  so  checks  the  evil  in 
the  heart,  and  at  any  rate  prevents  its  injuring  others. 
You  gain  inward  control  by  outward  control.  Come 
toward  the  spirit  of  the  law,  checking  the  thought  by 
obeying  the  letter.  You  keep  yourself  also  from  being 
a  curse.  The  swearer  is  a  moral  blight  in  a  community, 
his  oath-speaking  is  a  spreading  infection,  he  is  himself 
a  curse  to  others.  Few,  if  any,  ever  began  swearing 
but  from  imitation.  Profanity  is  a  contagion  in  the 
sound  waves  of  the  air.  By  checking  the  oath  at  the 
lips  you  prevent  the  spread  of  the  evil. 

We  should  be  on  our  guard  against  the  insidious 
beginnings  of  this  sin.  There  are  bj^^ words  we  are  apt 
to  use  thoughtlessly,  which  are  on  the  verge  of  swear- 
ing, are  apt  to  lead  us  over  it,  and  certainly  influence 
others,  especially  the  young,  in  that  direction.  The 
words  "goodness,"  "gracious,"  "mercy,"  are  often  used 
as  by- words.  Now  goodness,  grace,  and  mercy,  while 
attributes  of  God,  are  also  qualities  found  in  man. 
Neither  the  one  using  them  nor  the  one  hearing  them 
may  have  the  thought  of  God  brought  to  rnind,  and  so 
we  cannot  say  that  their  careless  use  is  taking  the  name 
of  God  in  vain,  and  we  certainly  should  not  burden  our 
consciences  unnecessarily.  Our  reverence  for  God 
should  so  fill  our  souls  that  our  lips  should  have  but  one 
message,  that  of  reverence,  and  should  instinctively 
avoid  the  slighting  use  of  any  word  which  might  bring 
Him  irreverently  to  mind. 

Our  Savior  teaches  us  that  we  are   not  to  swear  at 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  45 

all  in  our  ordinary  conversation,  either  by  the  name  of 
God,  or  by  any  person  or  thing,  for  all  are  related  to 
Him.  He  teaches  us  that  our  statements  should  be 
always  in  accordance  with  the  exact  truth,  that  each 
one  of  his  disciples  should  have  a  character  of  such  pure 
truthfulness  that  his  word  needed  no  affirmation.  '•'-  But 
can  I  not  use  by-words  at  all  ?  "  you  say.  Your  speech 
would  have  more  strength  and  elegance  without  them, 
would  be  more  acceptable  in  good  society,  and  what  is 
of  far  greater  importance,  would  be  more  pleasing  to 
God. 

We  should  also  have  such  reverence  and  love  for  our 
God  that  we  could  not  bear  to  hear  others  take  his  name 
in  vain.  If  any  one  should  in  your  presence  speak 
slightingly  or  unkindly  or  insultingly  of  your  father, 
mother,  husband,  wife  or  friend,  you  would  feel  hurt 
and  your  feeling  would  probably  be  so  deep  that  you 
would  show  him  in  some  way,  without  sharing  his  im- 
politeness, that  you  valued  highly  the  one  he  dishon- 
ored. Our  love  for  God  should  lead  us  to  cherish  his 
honor  to  the  extent  of  our  influence. 

This  commandment  is  distinguished  from  all  the 
others  by  having  a  threat  connected  with  it.  The  former 
command  had  an  appeal.  This  has  a  menace.  The 
Judge  by  whose  laws  and  sentences  our  eternal  state  is 
to  be  fixed,  from  whose  sentence  there  can  be  no  appeal, 
says  He  will  not  hold  guiltless — a  strong  way  of  declaring 
He  will  pronounce  guilty — the  one  who  takes  his  name 
in  vain.  The  swearer  is  apt  to  think  his  offence  a  slight 
one.  God  says  He  regards  it  a  grievous  one.  The 
swearer  thinks  God  will  not  punish  the  use  of  a  few  tri- 
fling words.  This  is  only  another  instance  of  the  sinner 


46  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

underestimating  the  enormity  of  his  sin.  God  declares 
He  will  punish  the  guilty.  My  brother,  my  sister,  if  you 
ever  swear  you  should  take  warning  from  this  solemn 
threatening  of  God. 

What  is  the  reason  that  you  swear  ?  Answer  this 
question  faithfully  and  you  may  see  some  little  of  the 
greatness  of  your  sin,  may  confess  that  God  is  right  in 
His  estimate  of  it.  You  gain  nothing  by  it,  but  lose 
much.  Swearing  is  not  regarded  by  men  as  a  mark  of 
intellect,  or  learning,  or  truthfulness,  or  refinement,  or 
honor,  but  very  generally  the  reverse.  Nor  are  you 
seeking  future  good.  You  are  preparing  yourself  for 
some  place  and  for  some  companionship  in  the  future. 
But  you  are  not  preparing  yourself  for  heaven,  for  that 
is  the  place  of  adoration  of  God.  Swearing,  so  far  as  it 
can,  is  preparing  you  for  hell,  the  place  of  blasphemy. 
There  must  be  some  strong  reason  which  leads  you  to 
swear  in  spite  of  such  loss,  present  and  future.  You 
know  right  well  that  swearing  demoralizes  the  com- 
munity. It  directly  opposes  religion,  which  is  honoring 
God,  for  it  dishonors  him.  It  directly  opposes  respect 
for  law,  faithfulness  in  office,  the  administration  of  jus- 
tice, undermining  respect  for  God  and  the  sanctity  of 
an  oath.  And  though  it  is  so  demoralizing  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  community,  you  still  swear.  There  must 
be  some  strong  reason  controlling  you.  There  is  noth- 
ing noble  about  it.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  mean  and 
cowardly  to  say  behind  one's  back  what  we  dare  not  say 
to  his  face.  Would  you  swear  if  you  were  conscious  of 
God's  presence  and  holiness,  swear  to  his  face  ?  You 
know  also  that  it  is  a  vulgar  practice.  A  gentleman  is 
always  considerate  of  the  feelings  of  others.     But  you 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  \J 

despise  the  feelings  of  those  who  honor  God  when  you 
nse  His  name  in  vain.  There  must  be  some  strong  rea- 
son leading  you  to  this  vulgar,  cowardly  practice.  You 
know  also  that  the  wickedness  of  an  act  depends  largely 
upon  the  character  of  the  person  against  whom  it  is 
committed.  You  contemn  God's  authority  and  insult 
his  person.  The  name  which  all  heaven  adores,  which 
all  the  universe  praises,  which  all  hell  fears,  you  despise. 
Now,  my  dear  friend,  faithfully  bring  forth  and  examine 
the  cause  of  this  wicked  act.  Is  it  any  other  than  this, 
"  The  wickedness  of  my  heart  is  so  great  that  it  flows 
over  my  lips."  God,  the  Holy  One — your  Creator,  Pre- 
server and  Judge — you  hold  in  contempt,  and  out 
of  the  fulness  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh.  Jesus 
Christ,  the  loving  Savior,  suffered  and  died  for  sinners, 
and  offers  you  forgiveness  and  his  gracious  help  and 
love.  You  reject  him  not  only — that  were  bad  enough — 
but  you  despise  him  so  much  that  your  lips  tell  the  feel- 
ing of  your  heart.  We  cannot  sufficiently  estimate  the 
extreme  wickedness  of  profanity.  Let  me  solemnly 
charge  all  profane  persons  to  consider  this  guilt  in  God's 
sight  according  to  this  commandment,  and  to  repent 
and  seek  forgiveness  in  Christ,  the  forgiveness  you  so 
greatly  need,  and  without  which  you  must  be  forever 
lost. 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 

"  Eemember  the  Sabbath  dity  to  keep  it  holy.  Six  days  shalt  thou 
labor  and  do  all  thy  work.  But  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of 
the  Lord  thy  God :  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy 
son,  nor  thy  daughter,  thy  manservant  nor  thy  maidservant,  nor  thy 
cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates.  For  in  six  days 
the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and 
rested  the  seventh  day  :  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath 
day,  and  hallowed  it."— Ex.  20:  8—11. 

Three  things  at  once  arouse  our  attention.  The  open- 
ing word,  ''  Remember,"  suggests  that  we  are  specially 
liable  to  forget  this  commandment.  The  descending 
into  particulars  intimates  the  possibility  of  some  trying 
to  keep  the  law  themselves,  while  they  allow  their  work 
in  the  hands  of  others  to  go  on.  The  giving  a  reason 
for  the  law,  found  in  this  instance  alone,  foretells  a  ten- 
dency to  set  aside  this  commandment  and  provides 
against  it.  Modern  times  were  evidently  within  the 
vision  of  the  Law-giver  on  Sinai. 

We  can  easily  see  what  this  commandment,  if  obeyed, 
would  do  for  our  busy  lives.  It  would  give  us  needed 
rest  and  spiritual  uplift.  The  world  is  toiling  for  daily 
bread,  on  farm  and  in  factory,  in  shop  and  store  and 
office,  day  after  day,  from  early  morn  until  the  shades 
of  night  close  over  the  scene.  Then  comes  the  dawn 
of  the  Sabbath.  Rest  and  quiet  cover  the  country  and 
the  town.  Soon  the  church  bells  fill  the  air  with  their 
solemn  tones.  Parents  and  children  go  together  to  the 
house  of  God  for  praise  and  meditation  and  prayer. 
The  home  is  filled  with  hallowed  joy  as  the  hours  roll 
48 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  49 

on,  and  the  still  evening  crowns  the  day  with  peace. 
Look !  the  outstretched  hands  of  Christ  are  bestowing 
a  benediction  on  the  nations.  Listen  !  through  the 
blessed  stillness  come  his  words :  "  The  Sabbath  was 
made  for  man." 

That  man  in  our  day  and  land  is  in  danger  of  losing 
the  Sabbath  which  God  made  for  him,  has  already  lost 
much  of  the  spiritual  uplift  and  is  fast  losing  much  of 
the  needed  rest  of  the  day,  is  due  entirely  to  his  dis- 
obedience of  this  commandment.  Very  important  it  is 
for  him  to  return  to  first  principles  and  base  his  observ- 
ance of  the  day  upon  the  right  foundation,  the  authority 
of  God.  Some  confusion  of  mind  exists  regarding  this 
commandment,  since  there  were  also  enactments  in  the 
civil  and  ceremonial  laws  of  the  Jews  concerning  the 
observance  of  the  Sabbath,  and  from  this  condition 
also  arose  many  traditional  laws  which  made  the  day  a 
burden.  These  civil  and  ceremonial  laws  have  no  bind- 
ing power  upon  us,  and  the  traditional  laws  never  had 
any  rightful  power  upon  any  one.  Our  Savior  swept 
the  traditional  away  by  his  word  and  the  others  by  his 
life  and  death,  only  to  bring  into  greater  clearness  the 
commandment  of  the  moral  law  by  his  saying,  "  The 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man." 

This  we  see  in  the  commandment  itself  as  we  reflect 
upon  the  reason  God  gives  for  the  law.  This  shows 
that  the  commandment  is  not  local  and  temporary, 
is  not  ceremonial,  but  is  universal  and  perpetual; 
that  the  holy  rest  day  is  God's  gift  to  man. 
It  manifests  the  nature  of  the  Giver.  It  meets  the 
needs  of  the  nature  of  man  and  defines  his  nature.  God 
rested — therefore  man  should  rest.     The  Sabbath  is  a 


50  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

memorial  of  creation,  and  of  much  more.  It  is  a 
memorial  of  God's  resting  from  the  work  of  creation, 
and  it  in  that  fact  shows  a  principle  which  is  in  God's 
nature  not  only,  but  also  in  man's.  Whether  we  regard 
the  days  of  creation  as  of  twenty-four  hours  each,  or 
rather  as  vast  periods  of  time — the  rest  day  of  God  as 
extending  over  the  present  reign  of  life  upon  the  earth — 
the  reason  is  the  same.  God  rested  and  therein  blessed 
and  hallowed  the  Sabbath  day  for  man. 

Meditate  as  we  may,  we  will  not  be  able  to  exhaust 
the  grand  truth  carried  in  the  bosom  of  this  command- 
ment— God  is  a  Spirit.  He  manifested  his  character, 
his  wisdom,  power  and  goodness  in  the  work  of  creation. 
These  attributes  belong  to  him  before,  during,  and  after 
his  work.  As  He  rests  from  His  work  the  truth  is 
made  prominent — God  the  spirit  is  separate  from  and 
above  His  work.  So  with  man.  Work  is  not  sinful, 
but  noble.  The  commandment  calls  him  to  labor. 
Man's  character  should  manifest  itself  in  his  work,  his 
truthfulness  and  goodness.  His  spiritual  nature  should 
be  noble  and  enter  into  his  work.  He,  too,  is  a  spirit, 
separate  from  and  above  his  work. 

This  is  a  truth  man  greatly  needs  to  keep  in  mind. 
We  have  to  work  so  much  for  our  daily  bread,  and 
sometimes  our  work  becomes  so  fascinating  and  profit- 
able, and  sometimes  so  burdensome  and  discouraging, 
that  it  absorbs  us.  Then  God's  voice  comes  to  us  with 
authority.  We  are  beings  capable  of  hearing  and  un- 
derstanding His  commands.  He  addresses  us  as  spirits 
separate  from  and  above  our  work,  calls  us  to  lay  our 
work  aside  and  hold  communion  with  Him.  The 
Hebrew  sitting  with   crossed  hands  in  the  door  of  his 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  51 

tent,  looking  over  the  camp  at  rest  and  the  desert 
beyond,  was  forced  to  think  of  his  relation  to  the  Holy- 
One  who  had  freed  him  from  Egypt  and  was  leading 
him  through  the  desert  to  the  promised  land.  In  the 
rush  of  our  modern  life  the  need  is  not  less  that  man 
should  at  times  stop  his  work  lest  he  come  to  think  that 
the  work  is  part,  even  the  whole  of  himself.  He  strains 
every  nerve  to  improve  his  farm,  to  pay  off  the  mort- 
gage, to  increase  his  income,  to  accumulate  wealth. 
God  calls  him  to  stop  and  think,  "  What  am  I  ? 
Where  am  I  going  ?  What  am  I  to  be  when  this  is  all 
over  ?  "  What  mole  hills  are  mortgage,  and  farm,  and 
wealth!  You  are  a  spirit,  separate  from  and  above 
your  work.  Rest  awhile  and  commune  with  me  and 
you  will  be  ennobled  for  the  work  that  remains  for  you 
on  the  earth.  This  reason  for  the  law  takes  hold  of  the 
nature  of  God  and  of  the  nature  of  man  and  binds 
them  together  with  the  golden  clasp  of  the  Sabbath. 

We  see  also  that  this  commandment  not  merely 
follows  but  carries  on  the  requirement  of  the  Third 
Commandment.  Man  is  to  reverence  God  with  his 
speech,  as  a  social  being,  among  his  fellows.  The 
highest  reverence  to  be  given  in  this  way  must  be  in 
the  public  worship  of  God.  In  order  to  this  men 
must  agree  to  assemble  at  certain  times,  which  should 
occur  with  suitable  frequency.  Without  such  an 
arrangement  the  public  worship  of  God  must  necessarily 
cease  in  any  community,  and  upon  the  whole  earth. 
God  meets  this  need  of  man  and  sets  apart  a  suitable 
portion  of  time  both  for  individual  spiritual  culture, 
and  for  the  social  public  worship  of  Himself.  If  we  ask 
why  He  should  have  set  apart  one  seventh  rather  than 


52  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

one  tenth  or  any  other  portion,  it  is  a  sufficient  answer 
that  some  portion  is  necessary,  and  God  is  the  best  and 
rightful  judge  of  what  portion  is  best.  Those  who 
observe  it  do  not  fall  behind  in  the  world's  work,  rather 
are  more  efficient  in  it.  In  heathen  lands  toil  is  unin- 
terrupted: the  rest  day  prevails  among  the  most 
enlightened,  energetic  and  wealthy  nations. 

Our  Savior,  whom  we  recognize  as  Lord  of  the  Sab- 
bath, leaving  the  commandment  in  full  force,  changed 
the  day  to  be  observed  from  the  last  day  of  the  week 
to  the  first,  which  we  delight  to  call  the  Lord's  Day. 
This  he  did  by  rising  from  the  dead  on  that  day,  by 
appearing  to  His  disciples  on  that  day  specially,  and 
through  his  Apostles  in  their  usage  of  that  day.  When 
the  Apostle  Paul  speaks  slightingly  of  the  Sabbath  he 
speaks  of  the  Seventh  day  which  the  Jewish  disciples 
thought  they  ought  to  keep  in  addition  to  the  Lord's 
Day,  and  to  keep  it  with  all  the  restrictions  of  the  cere- 
monial law.  The  day  comes  to  us  therefore  on  the 
authority  of  God,  his  gift  to  us,  with  the  added  value 
as  a  memorial  of  the  victory  of  our  Savior  over  sin  and 
death. 

The  observance  of  the  day  is  to  be  based  therefore 
upon  the  authority  of  God  in  this  commandment.  To 
the  further  question.  How  shall  we  observe  the  day? 
the  commandment  gives  clear  general  directions,  while 
it  allows  great  liberty  of  judgment  and  conscience  in 
particular  applications. 

We  are  very  plainly  directed  to  observe  it  as  a  rest 
day.  The  word  "  Sabbath  "  is  simply  the  Hebrew  word 
meaning  "  rest "  transferred  to  our  language.  We  are 
to  remember  the  Rest  Day.     We  are  to  do  all  our  work 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  53 

in  six  days.  We  are  not  to  do  any  work  in  the  Rest 
Day.  Whatever  more  the  day  may  be  grows  out  of 
the  primal  element  of  rest.  Natural  science  stands  by 
Revelation  in  bearing  witness  to  the  beneficence  of  this 
provision.  It  aflSrms  from  the  observation  of  facts  that 
man  needs  one  day's  rest  in  seven,  that  physical  deteri- 
oration, and  mental  as  well,  and  shortening  of  life, 
result  from  the  disobedience  of  this  law.  The  employ- 
ers of  labor  are  specially  commanded  not  only  to  rest 
themselves,  but  to  have  those  they  employ  rest  also.  It 
is  quite  obvious  that  this  applies  not  only  to  individuals 
but  also  to  companies  and  corporations.  It  is  quite 
obvious  also  that  it  not  only  gives  the  employed  the 
right  to  rest  if  they  choose,  a  priceless  right,  but  it 
commands  them  to  exercise  it — to  rest. 

We  all  recognize  that  State  laws  have  neither  right 
nor  power  to  force  men  to  be  religious — a  truth  men 
have  been  slow  to  learn — but  clearly  taught  by  God  in 
his  word,  and  in  the  experience  of  the  race.  For  other 
reasons  it  is  clearly  within  the  province  of  State  laws  to 
command  the  observance  of  the  Rest  Day.  For  in  the 
first  place,  a  wide  observation  proves  that  such  a  day  is 
necessary  for  the  welfare  of  all  the  people.  The  God- 
given  right  of  the  Rest  Day  is  written  in  the  nature  of 
man  as  well  as  in  the  commandments,  and  the  State 
should  recognize  and  secure  it.  In  the  next  place,  a 
large  proportion  of  the  citizens  of  the  State,  and  the 
larger  the  better  for  the  State,  deem  it  wrong  to  work 
on  the  Rest  Day.  Their  right  of  conscience  should  be 
protected.  In  the  last  place,  those  devoting  the  day  to 
a  religious  use  should  not  be  hindered  therefrom,  nor 
disturbed   therein.     The   State  should  to  that  extent 


54  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

encourage  the  religious  observance  of  the  day.  But 
whatever  the  State  laws  may  enact  or  fail  to  enact  our 
obligation  to  God  is  not  affected  by  them,  they  cannot 
excuse  us  from  our  duty  to  Him.  The  State  allows 
railroad  corporations  to  force  their  large  companies  of 
men  to  work  on  the  Rest  Day,  but  that  does  not  make 
it  right  for  us  to  begin  or  continue  our  journey  on  that 
day,  and  the  directors  of  these  railways  are  not  excused 
by  the  State  laws  from  their  responsibility  to  God. 

But  we  are  not  only  directed  to  remember  the  Rest 
Day,  but  to  remember  to  keep  it  holy.  God  not  only 
rested^  but  he  hallowed  the  day,  and  commands  us  to 
keep  it  holy,  a  day  set  apart  for  his  worship.  Here  also 
is  a  very  clear  general  direction,  while  great  liberty  is 
allowed  in  particular  application.  For  observe,  God 
does  not  say  in  the  commandment  how  we  shall  keep 
the  day  holy.  He  leaves  that  to  the  judgment  and  con- 
science of  each  one.  Each  one  is  to  have  the  design  to 
keep  the  day  holy,  and  to  make  such  rules  for  himself 
as  seem  best  adapted  to  that  end.  But  he  is  to  be  care- 
ful that  he  does  not  try  to  force  these  rules  upon  others 
or  to  judge  tliem  thereby.  That  was  the  spirit  of  the 
Pharisee  in  the  traditions  which  Christ  rebuked  and  set 
aside,  and  we  should  guard  against  cherishing  the  same 
spirit. 

There  are  several  questions  prominent  with  us  which 
should  be  solved  by  this  principle.  What  shall  I  read 
on  the  Holy  Day  and  commend  to  my  children  ?  That 
which  tends  to  keep  the  day  holy,  to  lift  up  your  spirit 
and  the  spirits  of  your  children  into  fellowship  with 
God,  and  only  that.  The  question  of  Sunday  news- 
papers as  it  concerns  us  is  not  the  question  of  printing 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  55 

and  distributing  the  papers,  (it  is  easy  to  condemn 
others,)  but  of  our  reading  them.  Our  sin  is  not  in  the 
supply  but  in  the  demand,  and  in  the  fact  that  the 
demand  is  the  cause  of  the  supply  and  regulates  it. 
Shall  I  visit  my  friends  on  the  Holy  Day  and  invite 
them  to  visit  me  ?  Will  such  visiting  tend  to  keep  the 
day  holy  in  your  family,  and  in  theirs,  and  in  the  com- 
munity as  your  example  has  influence  ?  Will  it  tend  to 
lift  up  your  spirit  and  the  spirits  of  others  into  fellow- 
ship with  God?  The  observance  of  the  Holy  Day  in 
private  and  in  the  family  is  the  difficult  part  of  the 
duty,  but  a  very  important  part.  Whatever  freedom 
there  may  be  from  strict  rules,  however  large  the  appeal 
to  the  individual  conscience,  even  of  young  children,  if 
the  design  of  the  day  is  kept  clearly  in  view  with  earn- 
est purpose  of  attaining  it,  the  spirit  of  obedience  to 
the  commandment  will  fill  heart  and  home  with  the 
deep  and  purifying  joy  of  the  Lord's  Day. 

We  have  already  seen  that  the  day  is  set  apart  and 
hallowed  to  the  social  public  worship  of  God.  The 
maintaining  of  such  worship  by  our  personal  attendance 
upon  it  is  obviously  required  in  the  commandment  to 
keep  the  day  holy.  The  public  prayer  and  praise  and 
meditation  upon  the  noblest  truths  will  bring  our  spirits 
into  fellowship  with  God.  The  Sabbath  was  made  for 
man,  and  the  highest  possible  benefit  we  can  receive 
from  it  is  to  have  our  spirits  brought  into  a  shape 
worthy  of  God. 

There  are  many  perplexing  features  of  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Lord's  Day  in  our  modern  civilization  which 
God's  people  who  lived  before  the  age  of  steam  and 
iron  never  dreamed  of.     Our   Savior's   teaching  that 


$6  THE   TEAT  COMMANDMENTS. 

works  of  necessity  and  of  mercy  are  not  violations  of  the 
holy  rest  day  should  be  applied  to  these  perplexities ; 
and  should  be  applied  in  the  spirit  he  inculcated  of 
judging  ourselves  rather  than  others.  Keeping  up 
the  fires  of  an  ocean  steamship  and  of  an  iron  furnace 
are  plain  cases  of  necessity.  Perhaps  there  are  other 
cases  in  your  homes  which  are  not  so  plain,  of  which 
you  must  be  the  judges.  The  running  of  a  milk  train  to 
New  York  and  your  shipping  milk  by  that  train  comes 
under  the  head  of  works  of  mercy  if  you  do  it  to  min- 
ister to  the  well-being  of  men,  women  and  little  chil- 
dren in  the  crowded  city ;  but  it  is  a  violation  of  the 
law  if  done  simply  to  make  money.  What  is  your 
intention,  a  holy  or  a  sordid  one  ?  Judge  yourselves 
faithfully,  but  do  not  judge  your  neighbor. 

There  is  a  growing  tendency  to  make  the  day  one  of 
mere  amusement,  and  a  strong  plea  is  made  for  those 
who  toil  through  the  week  on  such  poor  wages  that 
their  only  home  is  a  crowded  room  or  two  in  a  tene- 
ment house,  to  give  them  a  chance  to  see  the  ocean  and 
the  green  fields.  Perhaps  a  more  Christian  solution  of 
the  grave  problem  would  be  better  wages  and  better 
homes,  rather  than  facilities  for  pleasures  which  diminish 
already  scant  earnings  and  give  but  a  poor  return — 
obedience  to  the  eighth  commandment  rather  than  vio- 
lation of  the  fourth.  The  amusement  of  pleasure 
resorts  does  not  give  the  rest  from  labor  nor  does  it 
yield  the  spiritual  uplift  which  God  designs.  It  is 
generally  accompanied  by  fatigue  and  in  many  cases  by 
dissipation.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  God  is  a  truer  and 
wiser  friend  of  laboring  men  than  are  the  proprietors 
of  railways  and  pleasure  resorts,  and  his  gift  of  a  holy 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  57 

rest  day  they  will  find  a  rich  blessing  if  they  use  it  as 
he  directs.  But  surely  if  the  pleasure-seeking  of  the 
poor  on  God's  holy  day  cannot  be  justified,  the  pleasure- 
seeking  of  the  rich  must  be  utterly  condemned. 

In  order  that  we  may  have  clear  views  on  this  com- 
mandment let  us  not  fail  to  call  things  by  their  right 
names.  This  commandment  is  more  than  the  setting 
forth  of  a  need  of  our  nature,  more  than  advice  for  our 
own  good.  It  is  a  command  of  God.  Breaking  the 
Sabbath  is  therefore  more  than  an  error,  more  than  a 
mistake.  It  is  a  sin.  It  is  a  sin  because  it  contemns 
the  authority  of  God,  and  that  is  the  essence  of  all  sin. 
God  commands  us  to  remember  his  rest  day,  to  keep  it 
holy.  If  we  have  no  design  to  keep  it  holy,  or  make  no 
effort  to  do  so,  we  set  aside  the  authority  of  God  as  of 
no  account  to  us.  It  is  a  sin  further  against  the  love 
of  God  shining  in  this  commandment.  As  a  father 
invites  his  children  home  to  a  family  gathering  because 
he  loves  to  have  them  in  his  presence,  so  God  would 
have  us.  His  children,  come  to  Him  on  the  Sabbath 
day  because  He  loves  us.  If  we  have  no  desire  to  come 
or  make  no  effort  to  do  so  we  set  aside  the  love  of  God 
as  of  no  account  to  us.  It  is  a  sin  further  against  our 
higher  nature.  God  calls  us  to  remember  our  spiritual 
nature  and  to  guard  against  degrading  ourselves  to 
mere  sensual  beings.  He  places  the  Sabbath  as  a  fence 
upon  the  edge  of  a  precipice.  We  deliberately  break 
down  the  fence  in  order  that  we  may  throw  ourselves 
down  into  the  sensualism  of  constant  work  or  unhal- 
lowed pleasure.  Call  Sabbath-breaking  by  the  right 
name — it  is  a  sin. 

We  are  to  keep  the  rest  day  holy  because  God  com- 


58  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

mands  it,  out  of  our  deep  regard  for  the  authority  of 
God.  Our  design  is  to  keep  it  holy  «.nd  we  are  to 
make  every  earnest  effort  our  judgment  and  conscience 
commend  to  the  accomplishment  of  that  design.  Here, 
as  everywhere,  in  keeping  God's  commandments  there 
is  great  reward.  There  is  great  blessedness  that  comes 
from  keeping  the  rest  day  holy  to  the  one  keeping  it 
so,  and  to  his  fellow  men. 

Consider  the  blessings  to  our  fellow  men.  The  holy 
or  religious  observance  of  the  day  bestows  the  rest  day 
upon  mankind.  The  civil  rest  day  is  but  the  shadow 
of  God's  holy  day,  a  grateful  shadow,  as  of  a  tree  in  a 
sultry  land.  Take  the  tree  away  and  the  shadow 
departs.  The  cupidity  of  employers,  if  unrestrained  by 
the  law  of  God,  would  soon  grasp  the  rest  day.  The 
license  of  pleasure,  if  unrestrained  by  the  law  of  God, 
would  soon  yield  the  rest  day  to  cupidity,  is  fast  doing 
so  now.  Multitudes  have  to  work  on  the  rest  day  that 
other  multitudes  may  have  pleasure ;  and  further,  such 
unrestrained  pleasure-seeking  one  day  in  seven  would 
become  such  a  nuisance  that  society  in  self  defense 
would  be  compelled  to  abolish  the  day.  The  unbeliev- 
ing world  may  rail  against  God  and  His  Church,  but 
while  it  does  so  it  is  receiving  from  Him  through  the 
Church  the  rich  gift  of  the  only  rest  day  it  has  from 
grinding  labor. 

The  religious  observance  of  the  day  also  preaches  a 
powerful  though  silent  sermon  to  the  non-church-goer, 
telling  him  he  is  a  man,  not  a  beast  of  burden ;  that  there 
is  a  God  whom  he  should  worship ;  that  there  is  an 
eternal  life  beyond  this  fleeting  one  for  which  he  should 
prepare.     The  assembling  of  God's  people  for  His  wor- 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  59 

ship  on  His  Holy  Day  preaches  the  Gospel  to  those  who 
never  enter  the  church  doors. 

The  religious  observance  of  the  day  does  much  also 
to  educate. the  conscience  of  a  community.  Only  two 
kinds  of  government  are  possible,  the  strong  arm  of  a 
king  or  the  moral  power  of  a  people  governing  them- 
selves. The  cultivation  of  this  moral  power  is  needed 
for  the  maintenance  of  our  free  institutions.  It  is  safe 
to  say  that  no  existing  agency  can  compare  in  efficiency 
in  this  direction  Avith  the  public  worship  of  God,  and 
we  may  well  call  His  Holy  Day  the  bulwark  of  cur 
liberties. 

The  religious  observance  of  the  day  further  secures 
the  continuance  and  progress  of  Christianity  in  the 
world.  The  day  is  a  memorial  of  creation  and  redemp- 
tion. Its  memories,  its  hallowed  associations,  its  influ- 
ences, its  teachings,  its  worship,  all  speak  eloquently  of 
God,  his  love  for  us  and  our  relation  to  him,  and 
strongly  bind  our  sinful  world  to  His  Holy  Throne.  It 
is  difficult  to  conceive  how  Christianity  would  remain 
after  His  Holy  Day  had  departed.  The  procession  of 
secular  days  bears  rich  material  gifts  to  man.  The 
Holy  Day  spreads  heaven's  glories  over  the  earth. 

The  religious  observance  of  the  day  brings  also  rich 
blessing  to  the  one  so  observing  it.  However  crushing 
may  be  the  burden  of  toil  and  care  we  carry  during  all 
the  week,  when  the  Holy  Day^dawns  God  himself  takes 
it  from  our  spirits  that  we  may  have  free  and  full  com- 
munion with  him.  In  such  communion  our  spirits  are 
refreshed  and  strengthened.  As  the  river  Nile  flows 
over  Egypt  at  certain  times  bringing  therein  the  bless- 
ing of  fruitful  seasons,  so  this  river  from  the  Throne  o^ 


6o  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

God  flows  regularly  over  our  parched  lives,  bringing 
therein  to  our  souls  friiitfulness  in  heavenly  graces. 
Our  week  is  like  the  school-boy's  writing  page.  On 
the  first  day  our  Savior  sets  before  us  his  holy  example. 
We  try  to  copy  it  in  our  busy  lives,  but  how  imperfect 
is  our  work !  Too  often  the  page  is  straggling  and 
blotted.  We  have  cause  to  weep  bitter  tears  of  disap- 
pointment and  sorrow.  Then  comes  the  Lord's  Day, 
and  our  Savior  gently  cheering  us  to  new  courage  turns 
over  the  leaf  and  gives  us  again  his  clear  example. 
One  day  for  teaching,  six  days  for  practice,  and  our 
patient  loving  teacher  always  with  us  helping  and 
inspiring.  Surely  as  the  weeks  roll  on  we  should  con- 
stantly improve  until  at  length  when  the  book  of  life  is 
finished  He  may  say  to  each  one  of  us;  "  Well  done." 
The  Holy  Day  also  gives  us  a  clear  view  of  our 
heavenly  home,  the  eternal  holy  rest  from  all  this  world's 
toil  and  care.  A  nobleman  in  England  showing  a  friend 
through  his  palace,  when  they  reached  the  highest  win- 
dow in  the  tower,  said  :  "  From  this  window  on  a  Sun- 
day we  can  see  the  cathedral  spires  of  Durham."  "  Why 
on  Sunday  ?  "  the  friend  asked.  "  Because  on  that  day 
the  factories  do  not  pour  forth  their  smoke,  and  through 
the  clear  air  the  spires  are  seen."  So  the  fumes  and 
smoke  of  earth  often  cloud  our  vision  of  heaven.  Then 
comes  the  Holy  Day  with  its  rest  from  worldly  toil  and 
its  heavenly  breeze,  and  as  the  smoke  clears  away  we 
see  the  far  off  spires  of  our  eternal  home.  How  the 
sight  thrills  our  hearts  with  bright  hopes  and  firm 
courage  for  the  remaining  journey  till  we  shall  reach 
the  Rest  at  last ! 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 

**  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother  :  that  thy  days  may  be  long 
upon  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee." — Ex.  20  :  12. 

A  human  law-giver,  in  enacting  an  important  code, 
might  consider  it  beneath  his  dignity  to  take  notice  of 
children,  but  God  manifests  his  divine  wisdom  and  love 
in  directly  addressing  them  in  this  commandment.  We 
recognize  at  once  that  the  early  training  of  children  is 
considered  by  God  of  the  greatest  importance  to  their 
own  welfare,  to  the  welfare  of  the  race,  and  to  the  honor 
of  Himself.  We  see  also  that  the  command  is  expressed 
in  such  a  way  that  the  duty  remains  long  after  the  child- 
hood stage  of  our  existence  is  passed,  as  long  as  the 
parental  relation  exists ;  even  longer,  for  some  of  us  can 
only  honor  father  and  mother  now  in  our  memory.  We 
may  well  notice  also  that  however  low  an  estimate  may 
have  been  placed  upon  woman  in  the  far  east  and  in 
that  ancient  day,  or  may  be  placed  upon  her  now  any- 
where, God  commands  that  the  mother  shall  be  held  in 
equal  honor  with  the  father.  He  who  learns  truly  to 
honor  his  mother  at  home  learns  to  honor  womanhood 
everywhere. 

The  position  of  this  commandment  among  the  others 
has  important  teachings.  It  is  the  center,  the  heart  of 
the  whole  law.  Our  Savior  gives  us  this  summary  of 
the  law :  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all 
thy  heart  and  with  all  thy  soul  and  with  all  thy  mind. 
This  is  the  first  and  great  commandment.     And  the 

6i 


62  THk  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

second  is  like  unto  it :  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself."  Not  only  has  God  given  us  the  power  to  love, 
but  he  has  placed  us  in  relationships  which  call  this 
power  into  exercise  and  give  it  right  direction,  espec- 
ially the  relationship  of  parents  and  children.  The 
deep,  strong,  pure  parental  love — Others  may  hear 
about  it,  may  have  the  power  to  love,  but  cannot  expe- 
rience it.  Only  parents  feel  it,  and  only  a  child,  their 
child,  can  awaken  it  into  powerful  life.  Not  only  do 
they  love  their  child,  they  soon  find  a  yearning  for  the 
child's  love.  They  rejoice  in  the  first  signs  of  intelli- 
gence. How  unspeakably  precious  are  the  first  signs 
of  recognition  and  responsive  love — the  brightening 
of  the  eye  as  father  enters  the  room,  the  crowing  laugh 
as  mother  takes  the  child  in  her  arms  !  Growing  from 
this  is  the  parent's  desire  for  the  child's  obedience,  an 
obedience  not  of  fear  but  of  love.  How  much  the  parents 
will  sacrifice,  not  regarding  it  as  sacrifice,  to  secure  the 
child  from  evil !  How  great  is  their  love  and  their 
yearning  for  the  child's  love  I  These  are  beyond  esti- 
mate. This  continues  not  for  a  few  days  or  months 
only,  but  for  years,  even  for  life ;  for  although  man  is 
the  most  finely  organized  of  the  animal  creation  his  off- 
spring is  the  most  helpless,  requiring  the  most  tender 
and  constant  care  for  years,  and  his  love  for  his  children 
never  dies.  Gpd  surely  in  this  relationship  cultivates 
love.  In  the  child's  heart  also  a  deep  true  love  for  the 
parents  is  implanted  by  the  Creator,  to  grow  and 
strengthen  as  the  years  roll  on.  The  commandments 
we  have  seen  reveal  both  the  nature  of  God  and  the 
nature  of  man,  and  this  commandment  in  the  center  of 
the   law   enters  the   relationship   God  has  established 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  63 

among  men  and  gives  the  natural  affection  He  there 
cultivates  its  noblest  possible  exercise  and  meaning. 
God  says  in  it  to  parents,  "  As  you  love  your  children, 
so  I  love  you.  As  you  yearn  for  their  responsive  love, 
so  I  yearn  for  yours.  I  am  your  Father."  God  says 
in  it  to  children,  "  Love  your  parents,  and  therein  learn 
to  love  me,  your  Father.' '  The  supreme  love  for  God 
required  in  the  first  and  great  commandment  is  to 
find  in  this  relationship  its  cultivation.  So  also  the  love 
for  our  neighbor  required  in  the  second  command  of  our 
Savior  is  like  the  love  of  children  for  each  other.  God, 
my  Father  ;  man,  my  brother. 

The  position  of  this  commandment  among  the  others 
has  a  further  teaching  of  great  importance.  The  place 
of  division  into  the  two  Tables  of  the  Law  is  somewhat 
indistinct.  It  is  in  this  commandment :  but  whether  it 
belongs  to  the  First  Table,  or  to  the  Second,  is  not  quite 
clear.  It  certainly  treats  of  duties  to  man,  and  so  must 
belong  to  the  Second  Table.  But  hold  !  May  not  the 
parents  be  regarded  as  the  representatives  of  God? 
Then  it  belongs  to  the  First  Table.  There  is  certainly 
a  strong  analogy  in  the  relationships.  The  parents  are 
the  nearest  cause  to  the  child  of  its  being,  its  continued 
existence  and  its  welfare,  and  this  through  that  wonder- 
ful thing  God  has  given  them,  parental  love,  which 
allies  them  so  closely  to  Himself.  We  need  not  try  to 
determine  what  God  seems  to  have  purposely  left  indis- 
tinct. In  the  indistinctness  is  the  lesson.  We  are  apt 
to  consider  duties  to  man  separately,  but  God  joins  them 
indissolubly  with  duties  to  Himself.  The  two  tables 
are  not  parts  of  the  same  law,  separate  and  distinct  from 
each  other,  but  parts  God  has  so  joined  together  that  no 


64  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

man  can  tell  where  the  one  ends  and  the  other  begins. 
The  morality  required  in  this  law  must  have  religion  in 
it,  and  the  religion  required  is  indissolubly  joined  with 
morality. 

The  position  of  the  commandment  in  this  indistinct- 
ness also  shows  its  great  importance.  Considering  it  as 
the  last  of  the  First  Table,  we  see  that  in  order  that 
children  shall  become  men  and  women  worshiping  God 
in  spirit  and  in  truth,  they  are  to  be  taught  and  trained 
by  honoring  their  parents.  Considering  it  as  the  first 
of  the  Second  Table,  we  see  that  in  order  that  children 
shall  become  men  and  women  fulfilling  their  duties  in 
the  various  relations  of  life,  they  are  to  be  taught  and 
trained  by  honoring  their  parents.  Both  religion  and 
morality  have  their  foundations  laid  in  the  home  life  of 
children. 

The  charge  of  cruelty  to  and  neglect  of  children  may 
be  brought  against  the  religion  and  morality  of  pagan 
Rome.  Christianity  has  taught  the  world  the  interest 
God  has  in  children.  She  can  never  forget  that  her  Lord 
was  once  a  babe,  that  He  commended  to  his  disciples  the 
childlike  spirit,  and  that  He  took  little  children  in  His 
arms  and  blessed  them,  welcoming  them  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  In  this  Christian  land  and  age  great 
attention  is  being  paid  to  children,  in  our  homes  and  in 
our  schools.  Great  advance  has  been  made  in  this 
direction  within  less  than  a  century,  and  is  still  being 
made.  We  are  beginning  to  follow  the  divine  wisdom 
and  love  of  the  Supreme  Law-giver  who  in  joining  the 
two  Tables  of  His  Law  speaks  especially  to  the  chil- 
dren. 

In   this  interest  of  God  in  them  there  is  a  strong 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  65 

appeal  to  children.  As  soon  as  this  commandment  comes 
to  their  attention  they  should  respond  to  this  love  of 
God  for  them  and  at  once  strive  to  keep  His  law.  Here 
as  in  the  first  commandment  no  outward  act  is  com- 
manded, but  our  inward  spirit  or  disposition,  from  which 
will  flow  acts  of  its  own  character.  We  are  not  to  allow 
the  natural  affection  in  our  hearts  for  our  parents  to 
become  cooled  or  displaced,  but  we  are  to  cultivate  it 
in  obedience  to  God.  We  are  also  to  have  in  our  love 
for  our  parents  a  large  element  of  reverence  due  to  them 
to  whom  we  owe  so  much  and  whom  God  has  placed  in 
authority  over  us. 

There  are  some  plain  duties  embraced  in  this  com- 
mandment which  we,  children  of  all  ages,  may  profitably 
consider.  We  are  to  honor  our  parents  in  our  thoughts. 
Boys  and  girls,  when  they  begin  to  go  to  school  and  to 
find  associates  beyond  the  home  circle  and  to  catch 
their  first  view  of  the  great  world,  are  quite  apt  to 
indulge  the  conclusion  that  they  know  more  and  have 
rather  better  judgment  than  their  fathers  and  mothers. 
It  is  because  you  know  so  little  that  you  think  you 
know  so  much.  When  you  have  passed  through  this 
stage  of  your  being,  when  you  have  lived  a  little  longer 
and  learned  a  little  more,  3^ou  will  conclude  that  your 
parents'  views  of  your  studies  and  the  conduct  proper 
for  you  were  much  better  than  your  own.  To  adopt 
their  views  now,  cheerfully  and  firmly,  will  be  more 
modest  and  wise  and  certainly  more  in  harmony  with 
this  commandment. 

We  are  to  honor  our  parents  in  our  speech.  When  we 
speak  to  them  we  are  to  cultivate  the  respectful  tone  of 
voice  and  use  such  words  as  shall  give  them  honor. 
5 


6^  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

The  sullen  tone  and  the  cross  word  are  absolutely  for- 
bidden. When  we  speak  of  them,  in  their  presence  or 
in  their  absence,  we  are  to  use  terms  of  honor  and  love. 
It  is  certainly  far  from  right  for  a  young  man  to  speak 
of  his  father  as  "  the  old  man,"  or  "  the  governor." 
The  bad  taste  is,  here  as  generally,  bad  morals.  We  are 
to  honor  our  parents  in  our  conduct.  A  young  man 
will  tip  his  hat  to  a  young  lady,  and  to  an  aged 
honorable  man,  and  on  the  street  and  in  company  will 
be  very  attentive  to  their  wants.  Excellent  conduct, 
provided  the  young  man  gives  at  least  equal  attention 
and  honor  to  his  father  and  his  mother. 

Of  course  children  are  to  obey  their  parents.  Dis- 
obedience breaks  the  command  of  God  at  the  same  time 
it  breaks  the  command  of  the  parents.  Obedience 
should  flow  from  the  honor  in  which  the  parents  are 
held.  It  should  be  prompt,  cheerful  and  loving ;  not 
full  of  excuses,  not  coaxing  off,  not  delaying  until  a 
stern  command  is  required,  not  seeing  how  little  honor 
it  can  give — which  is  giving  no  honor  at  all — but  loyally 
consulting  the  slightest  wish  of  the  parents  and  promptly 
and  lovingly  fulfilling  it.  Obedience  should  also  be 
faithful,  just  as  complete  in  the  absence  of  the  parents 
as  in  their  presence.  The  boy  has  taken  a  dangerous 
position  who  will  do  in  his  father's  absence  what  he 
knows  his  father  would  not  approve,  and  the  girl  is  not 
safe  who  has  anything  to  hide  from  her  mother.  We 
are  to  honor  our  parents  also  in  working  for  them,  and 
in  need  supporting  them.  Not  only  is  this  the  prompt- 
ing of  natural  affection,  not  only  is  it  our  honor  and 
privilege  often  to  care  for  those  who  have  so  greatly 


TME  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  67 

cared  for  us,  but  it  is  a  part  of  the  duty  we  owe  to  God 
in  obedience  to  His  commandment. 

Much  of  this,  some  may  say,  implies  that  our  parents 
are  perfect.  It  is  easier  to  fulfill  these  duties  when  the 
parents  are  worthy,  still  when  we  cannot  help  seeing 
great  defects  in  them  the  duties  remain.  The  honor  we 
should  give  them  will  lead  us  to  bear  with  their  infirmi- 
ties, and  to  conceal  their  defects  as  far  as  possible  from 
others,  while  we  place  a  high  estimate  upon  their  vir- 
tues. There  is  one  case  which  may  possibly  arise — the 
parent  commands  what  God  forbids.  We  are  then  to 
obey  God.  He  is  above  all.  All  the  authority  the  parent 
possesses  is  from  God,  and  therefore  can  never  be 
used  against  Him. 

We  may  now  consider  a  few  reasons  why  we  should 
honor  our  parents.  The  first  and  greatest  is  because 
God  commands.  His  command  is  written  in  our  own 
natures  and  in  this  holy  law.  This  reason  is  above  all 
others  and  embraces  all. 

Such  conduct  gives  the  greatest  pleasure  to  our 
parents,  as  the  reverse  conduct  brings  to  their  hearts 
the  keenest  suffering.  We  can  never  fully  appreciate 
all  the  care  and  love  father  and  mother  have  bestowed 
upon  us  in  infancy  and  youth,  in  sickness  and  in  health, 
and  the  yearning  of  their  hearts  for  our  love.  Surely 
we  should  respond  to  their  love — we  should  seek  their 
happiness. 

Such  conduct  is  itself  excellent.  There  is  something 
within  us  that  approves  it,  and  condemns  the  reverse. 
When  we  see  children  honoring  their  parents  we  can 
not  help  feeling,  "  that  is  good."  When  we  see  them 
disobedient  and  disrespectful  we  can  not  help  feeling, 


68  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

"  that  is  wrong."  Many  noble  examples  appeal  to  this 
feeling  and  incite  us  to  a  like  excellency.  When  you, 
boys  and  girls,  go  to  High  School  and  College  you  will 
read  Latin  and  Greek.  The  greatest  poet  in  each  of 
these  languages,  each  in  his  greatest  poem,  gives  a 
glowing  account  of  a  man  who  was  a  hero.  One  of  the 
noblest  things  written  of  this  hero  is  this  :  He  was  one 
of  the  warriors  of  Troy,  and  when  the  Greeks  captured 
and  destroyed  that  city  he  made  his  escape  from  the 
ruins.  He  fled  through  the  burning  streets  bearing  a 
heavy  burden  upon  his  bended  back  which  greatly 
hindered  his  flight,  but  he  never  ofl'ered  to  lay  it  down, 
it  was  so  valuable  to  him.  It  was  not  money  or  jewels 
or  any  valuable  property.  He  would  not  have  en- 
dangered his  life  for  that.  The  heavy  load  he  carried 
was  his  aged  and  infirm  father,  and  he  bore  him  safely 
through.  His  name  is  and  ever  will  be  held  in  highest 
honor,  and  the  noblest  thing  that  can  be  said  of  him  is 
this :  "  ^neas  saved  his  father  from  burning  Troy." 
You  remember  a  decisive  point  in  the  life  of  Washing- 
ton. He  wanted  to  be  a  sailor,  and  his  mother  gave  a 
reluctant  consent.  All  things  were  ready.  The  ship 
lay  off  in  the  river.  His  trunk  was  in  the  little  boat 
which  waited  to  take  him  to  the  ship,  and  he  went  to 
bid  good-bye  to  his  mother.  He  found  her  in  tears. 
He  at  once  ordered  his  trunk  to  be  returned  to  the 
house  and  sent  word  to  the  ship  that  he  would  not  go. 
"  I  will  not  break  my  mother's  heart  to  gratify  myself," 
he  said,  and  his  mother  replied :  "  George,  God  has 
promised  to  bless  those  who  honor  their  parents.  He 
will  bless  3^ou."  We  all  remember  that  one  of  the 
recent   presidents    of  the  United  States,  when  he  had 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  69 

taken  the  oath  of  office  in  the  presence  of  the  assembled 
multitude,  in  that  proud  and  solemn  moment, 
the  supreme  moment  of  his  life,  turned  from 
the  people  and  kissed  his  aged  mother.  But 
why  mention  lesser  examples?  The  greatest  of  all 
beings,  the  glorious  Son  of  God,  our  Savior,  when  he 
was  on  earth,  honored  his  parents.  It  is  said  "  he  was 
subject  to  them."  For  many  years  he  labored  for  them, 
and  when  he  endured  the  shame  and  agony  of  the  cross  he 
honored  his  mother  and  made  provision  for  her  welfare. 
When  you  find  it  difficult  to  obey  your  parents  it  will 
help  3^ou  to  remember  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
obeyed  his.  When  you  find  it  hard  to  labor  for  and  sup- 
port them  it  will  nerve  you  with  new  courage  to  think 
that  He  even  on  the  cross  provided  for  His  mother. 
Copy  the  great  example  here  as  always,  and  honor  your 
father  and  mother. 

The  commandment  itself  contains  a  reason  for 
obedience  in  that  it  gives  a  promise,  an  assurance 
that  in  the  providence  of  God  obedience  to  this  com- 
mandment will  result  in  long  life  and  prosperity.  This 
sets  forth  a  general  rule  in  the  divine  government  of  the 
race,  promoting  stability  in  social  welfare.  The  child 
honoring  his  parents  learns  self  control,  obedience  to 
law,  submission  hearty  and  prompt  to  rightly  consti- 
tuted authority  as  a  principle  of  action.  Such  a  child 
will  in  all  probability  become  a  man  of  like  character. 
He  will  obey  the  laws  of  health.  Entering  business 
he  will  obey  the  laws  of  success,  industry,  perseverance, 
economy,  enterprise.  His  powers  under  full  control, 
he  will  be  also  a  law-abiding  citizen  in  society.  Such 
character  tends  to  long  life  and  the  enjoyment  of  the 


7o  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

gifts  of  God.  A  good  citizen  enjoys  the  protection  of 
the  State  not  only,  but  helps  to  form  a  condition  of 
social  well-being.  The  child  on  the  other  hand  who  is 
disobedient  and  disrespectful  to  his  parents,  who  sets 
aside  their  authority  and  God's  authority,  is  cultivating 
a  law-breaking  character.  He  will  in  all  probability 
become  a  self-willed  man,  setting  at  defiance  the  laws  of 
God  and  man.  Such  a  life  tends  to  the  undermining  of 
health  by  excesses,  to  the  waste  of  property  by  abuse,  to 
the  running  into  dangers  recklessly,  and  to  the  over- 
throw of  social  well-being.  Such  a  character  tends  to 
shorten  life  and  to  forfeit  the  gifts  of  God.  A  bad 
citizen  throws  away  the  protection  of  the  State  and  is 
an  element  threatening  the  stability  of  social  welfare. 
Honoring  parents  tends  to  long  life  and  prosperity  in 
the  individual,  and  as  this  becomes  general,  it  tends  to  the 
long  life  and  prosperity  of  the  nation.  There  is  a  wide 
and  rich  blessing  visibly  bestowed  in  this  life  on 
obedience  to  this  commandment. 

Of  course  parents  have  correspondingly  great  duties 
resting  upon  them,  since  God  places  them  in  such  an 
honorable  position  and  clothes  them  with  such  great 
authority.  They  are  to  remember  whence  the  authority 
comes  and  why  it  is  given  to  them.  They  are  to  use  it 
in  the  fear  of  God  and  for  the  welfare  of  their  children 
and  of  the  community.  They  should  neither  lay  it  aside 
nor  abuse  it.  They  are  to  govern  their  children  if  they 
would  have  their  children  learn  to  govern  themselves. 
They  should  also  endeavor  to  be  worthy  of  the  honor 
God  commands  their  children  to  give  them.  The  in- 
fluence of  their  teaching  and  example  upon  their  children 
will  of  necessity  be  great.   It  is  within  their  power  that  it 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  7 1 

should  also  be  good.  If  they  are  worthy  of  the  honor 
their  children  give  them,  if  they  rightly  estimate  and 
are  faithful  to  the  great  trust  God  places  in  them,  their 
children  honoring  them  and  together  with  them  will 
give  God  the  worship  which  is  His  due  and  will  faith- 
fully discharge  their  duties  to  men  as  they  arise  in  the 
varied  relations  of  life.  Blessed  indeed  are  those  homes 
where  family  worship  is  established  and  cherished. 
Their  practice  has  caught  the  spirit  of  this  command- 
ment. Parents  and  children  may  well  meditate 
together  upon  the  word  of  God,  their  rule  of  living ; 
may  well  praise  Him  for  the  blessed  relationship  He  has 
established,  for  that  sweetest,  dearest  place  on  earth,  a 
Christian  home ;  and  may  well  seek  from  Him  the 
guidance  and  grace  they  need  in  their  duties  that  the 
home  may  be  the  center  and  source  of  pure  religion  and 
true  morality. 

It  is  quite  evident  that  this  commandment  covers  all 
those  relationships  which  naturally  grow  out  of  the 
relationship  of  parents  and  children.  Children  are  to 
honor  their  teachers  who  stand  in  the  place  of  their 
parents  to  them  for  certain  well  defined  purposes.  The 
young  are  to  honor  the  aged.  The  advancing  genera- 
tion is  to  honor  the  departing  one,  inheriting  its 
achievements,  with  due  appreciation  of  its  worth.  The 
family  naturally  widens  into  the  tribe  and  the  nation., 
In  the  on-flowing  stream  of  human  life  governments 
arise  and  become  established.  God  is  the  author,  in  the 
social  nature  of  man  and  in  the  course  of  his  provi- 
dence, of  order,  not  of  confusion  ;  of  government,  not 
of  anarchy.  "  The  powers  that  be  are  ordained  of 
God."     Men  are  born  into  national  inheritances.     Few 


72  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

generations  are  called  upon  to  create  a  government :  it 
is  generally  a  growth  according  to  the  condition  and 
needs  of  society,  a  slow  growth  extending  through 
ages,  changes  being  wrought  gradually  by  the  develop- 
ing of  principles  and  forces  beyond  the  plan  or  life  of 
any  single  man  or  generation  of  men.  The  form  of 
government  and  its  character  will  be  the  outgrowth  of 
the  intellectual  and  moral  development  of  the  people. 
Christianity  does  not  propose  to  make  the  people  better 
by  revolutionizing  the  government,  but  to  make  the 
government  better  b}^  revolutionizing  the  people.  With 
this  design  she  entered  the  Roman  Empire.  It  was  far 
from  being  a  perfect  government,  but  it  was  the  expres- 
sion of  the  moral  condition  of  the  existing  social  life. 
It  was  far  better  than  anarchy,  and  it  was  her  noble 
and  fruitful  mission  to  maintain  order  in  society  while 
she  lifted  society  to  a  higher  moral  plane,  which  would 
gradually  secure  a  better  order  of  government. 

Our  noble  form  of  self  government  is  our  rich  inher- 
itance from  the  generations  past  who  have  lived  in  this 
land  and  in  the  father-lands,  as  Christianity  has  fos- 
tered the  love  of  liberty  and  the  power  of  self  control 
and  the  principles  of  righteousness  in  their  social  life. 
Whatever  of  fruitful  struggle  there  has  been,  has  been 
for  a  better  government  within  the  reach  of  the  better 
social  condition.  To  confess  that  our  government  to- 
day is  not  perfect  is  simply  to  confess  that  the  moral 
condition  of  societ}^  is  not  perfect.  Christianity  does 
not  therefore  call  up  the  red  flames  of  anarchy  and  bid 
them  hasten  to  destroy,  but  she  sets  up  her  school 
houses  and  her  churches  and  conserves  the  present 
order  while  she  prepares  for  all  needed  advance. 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  73 

We  may  regard  government  therefore  as  a  human 
institution,  but  of  divine  appointment.  Since  the 
authority  of  government  is  from  God,  rulers  should 
have  a  high  sense  of  the  dignity  of  their  position  as  His 
representatives,  and  should  rule  in  His  fear  for  the  wel- 
fare of  the  people.  "  Public  office  is  a  public  trust,"  is 
not  a  new  truth  or  even  a  whole  truth.  Though  prom- 
inent now,  it  is  part  of  a  higher  truth.  Public  office 
is  a  divine  trust.  Rulers  should  excel  in  the  likeness 
of  Him  they  represent  in  true  righteousness  and  in 
unselfish  devotion  to  the  highest  interest  of  man. 

Hence  also  citizens  should  give  their  rulers  the  honor 
due  their  high  office,  and  due  obedience  to  the  laws  of 
the  land.  This  is  a  religious  duty.  The  authority  of 
God  gives  stability  to  the  nation.  None  but  a  law- 
abiding  people  can  be  free. 

Hence  also  it  is  evident  that  since  the  authority  of 
the  State  comes  from  God  it  can  never  be  used  against 
Him,  can  never  make  it  our  duty  to  disobey  God.  True 
freedom  is  obedience  to  God.  Honoring  rulers  and 
submission  to  human  laws  are  enjoined  in  this  command- 
ment. These  duties  and  their  limitation  by  our  obliga- 
tion to  God  are  the  foundation  of  social  stabilit}'-  and 
of  all  civil  and  religious  liberty. 

Citizens  in  this  self-governing  nation  should  give 
great  attention  to  the  affairs  of  government,  from  the 
smallest  town  office  up  through  the  several  grades  to 
the  highest  office  in  the  land.  We  should  elect  only 
such  rulers  as  we  will  be  able  to  honor,  and  who  will 
enact  only  righteous  laws.  It  is  certainly  very  difficult 
often  to  respect  all  the  officers  of  city,  state  and 
nation.     It  is  our  own  fault  that  it  is  so.     We  should 


74  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

be  more  careful  to  elect  men  worthy  of  respect.  But, 
whoever  is  elected,  we  should  give  him  the  respect  due 
the  office.  It  is  our  right  and  duty  to  freely  and  fully 
investigate  the  private  character  and  record  of  a  candi- 
date for  office.  But  the  truth  should  alone  be  sought. 
To  slander  one  is  base  always,  specially  base  when  done 
for  political  effect.  When  the  election  is  over  the  duty 
of  investigating  gives  place  to  the  duty  of  honoring 
the  elected  ruler,  and  this  rests  upon  those  who  have 
opposed  his  election  as  well  as  upon  those  who  have 
favored  it.  He  is  no  longer  a  private  citizen  but  ele- 
vated to  office.  The  honor  due  the  office  belongs  to 
him. 

Children,  honor  your  parents — citizens,  honor  your 
rulers — all  men,  honor  God. 


THE  SIXTH   COMMANDMENT. 

"Thou  Shalt  not  kill."— Ex.  20:13. 

The  most  mysterious  and  valuable  of  all  God's  crea- 
tions is  life.  Man  cannot  imitate  even  its  lowest  forms. 
He  may  paint  the  rose,  showing  its  form  and  color,  but 
cannot  imitate  its  life.  God  seems  to  have  carefully 
guarded  this  creation  so  that  it  may  always  be  recog- 
nized that  He  is  its  direct  source,  the  Life-giver.  Scien- 
tific research  and  discussion  seem  to  have  reached  the 
firm  conclusion  that  life  never  springs  of  itself  from 
dead  matter,  that  it  only  comes  into  being  from  the 
touch  of  pre-existing  life.  It  is  also  one  of  God's  most 
bountiful  creations.  The  earth  teems  with  myriad 
forms,  rising  grade  upon  grade  until  the  highest  life  on 
earth,  that  of  man,  is  reached.  These  myriad  forms  are 
closely  related,  the  great  variety  being  produced  by 
slight  deviations  from  a  few  general  plans.  Through 
this  whole  realm  of  life  we  see  the  working  of  a  strange 
law.  Life  is  sustained  by  death.  In  its  ceaseless  round 
it  largely  lives  upon  itself.  Vegetable  lives  upon  vege- 
table. The  trees  of  the  forest  enrich  the  soil  they  grow 
in  by  falling  leaves  and  decaying  branches.  Vegetables 
give  food  to  animals,  the  cattle  browse  upon  the  grass 
of  the  meadows  and  man  lives  upon  the  wheat  of  the 
field,  animals  feed  upon  animals,  fishes  upon  fishes, 
birds  upon  insects,  while  the  lion  roams  the  forest  for 
its  prey.  All  vegetable  and  animal  life  alike  minister 
to  the  higher  life  of  man..    If  this  commandment  applied 

75 


*j6  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

to  all  killing,  man  would  soon  starve,  for  his  life  is 
sustained  by  the  death  of  vegetable  and  animal. 

But  we  are  not  therefore  to  conclude  that  man  has  an 
unlimited  right  to  destroy  the  lower  grades  of  life.  God 
has  written  in  the  constitution  of  man  and  in  his 
revealed  word  that  man  may  kill  the  lower  animals 
when  necessary  to  defend  or  sustain  his  higher  life. 
Beyond  these  exceptions  which  God  himself  makes  He 
guards  in  this  commandment  his  great  creation,  life, 
from  the  hand  of  man.  The  prohibition  is  expressed  in 
the  most  absolute  and  general  way  possible,  and  should 
be  so  considered.  God  commands  us  to  have  a  high 
regard  for  life,  even  in  its  lower  forms.  Hunting,  while 
it  develops  manhood,  strength,  quickness,  courage, 
cannot  be  justified  by  the  mere  pleasure  of  the  hunt, 
only  by  seeking  food.  So  with  fishing.  We  have  no 
right  to  take  the  life  of  bird  or  fish  merely  for  our  own 
sport.  We  should  give  our  domestic  animals  kind 
treatment,  sufficient  food  and  but  moderate  labor.  We 
are  to  take  good  care  of  the  life  God  entrusts  to  us,  and 
are  not  to  abuse  or  waste  it.  All  cruelty  to  animals  is 
forbidden.  Children  should  not  be  permitted  to  torment 
pet  animals,  certainly  not  to  torture  and  kill  flies.  What 
right  have  we  to  take  away  the  life  even  of  a  worm  ?  or 
to  cause  it  the  slightest  suffering  ?  Man's  abuse  of  his 
power  over  lower  forms  of  life  in  this  earth  is  cruel. 
Let  us  recognize  that  all  cruelty  is  in  violation  of  this 
commandment,  and  call  it  sin. 

While  the  commandment  in  its  absoluteness  includes 
all  life,  it  evidently  specially  applies  to  human  life. 
Man  is  not  only  the  highest  of  the  animals,  allied  with 
them  in  his  creation  from  "  the  dust  of  the  ground," 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS,  77 

but  he  is  distinct  from  them  in  that  he  was  created  in 
the  image  of  God,  so  possessing  a  spiritual  nature,  and 
as  such  God  places  him  in  dominion  over  the  earth. 
We  are  to  hold  all  life  in  high  regard,  and  hence  this 
human  life,  higher  than  all  other  with  which  it  is  related, 
and  differing  from  all  other  in  possessing  the  likeness 
of  God,  and  also  clothed  with  His  delegated  authority 
over  the  earth,  is  to  be  held  by  us  as  sacred. 

Our  Savior  in  his  exposition  of  this  commandment 
teaches  us  that  it  forbids  not  only  the  act  of  killing, 
but  as  well  all  those  feelings  which  have  a  tendency  to 
lead  to  that  act.  He  also  teaches  us  in  his  summary  of 
the  Second  Table  of  the  law,  "Thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself,"  that  this  commandment  directs  us 
to  cherish  the  lives  both  of  our  neighbors  and  of  our- 
selves. It  is  certainly  an  intimation  of  the  deep  de- 
pravity into  which  man  has  fallen  that  God  finds  it 
necessary  to  command  us  not  to  kill  ourselves  or  our 
fellow  men.  The  prohibitory  form  here  as  elsewhere 
indicates  tendencies  that  need  restraint. 

The  commandment  is  addressed  to  each  man  and 
applies  to  his  own  life  and  to  the  life  of  his  neighbor. 

To  his  own  life.  He  is  forbidden  to  take  it.  He  is 
commanded  to  care  for  it.  Man  does  not  own  himself, 
_has  no  title  in  his  own  life  as  before  God,  has  no  right 
to  destroy  it,  but  should  take  good  care  of  it,  for  it 
belongs  to  God.  However  great  troubles  may  come 
upon  us  we  are  to  bear  them,  not  fly  from  them ;  how- 
ever great  the  consequences  of  our  mistakes  and  sins 
we  are  to  endure  them,  not  rebel  against  them.  Man 
is  never  to  come  before  God,  the  Judge  of  his  life,  un- 
called of  him  and  with  the  guilt  of  his  own  blood  on  his 


78  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

soul.  We  are  in  this  commandment  forbidden  to  brood 
over  our  troubles.  It  is  wrong  to  cultivate  a  melan- 
choly spirit,  or  a  rebellious  one.  We  should  strive 
against  these  natural  tendencies  which  threaten  life  and 
dishonor  God. 

God  requires  us  further  to  have  that  high  regard  for 
our  lives  which  shall  lead  us  to  guard  and  maintain 
them  in  the  best  possible  condition.  We  are  to  become 
familiar  with  the  laws  of  health  and  obedient  to  them. 
All  practices  shortening  life  are  forbidden,  and  practices 
tending  to  good  health  and  long  life  are  commanded. 
This  commandment  enters  our  homes  with  the  pure  air 
of  heaven,  with  plenty  of  sunlight,  and  with  all  health- 
ful surroundings.  The  law  of  God  sits  down  with  us 
at  our  tables.  Appetites  are  means  to  an  end,  not  ends 
in  themselves.  They  are  to  sustain  the  system,  not  to 
seek  simply  their  own  gratification.  When  a  food 
is  unwholesome  it  is  to  be  refused,  no  matter  how  the 
appetite  craves  it;  nor  must  appetite  ever  lead  us 
to  eat  too  much  of  wholesome  food ;  and  the  law  of  God 
should  govern  our  drinking  as  well  as  our  eating.  It 
applies  also  to  the  manners  of  the  table,  to  eating  fast 
or  slow,  in  sullen  mood  or  cheerful. 

The  commandment  tells  us  how  we  shall  dress. 
Clothing  has  two  purposes,  adornment  and  comfort. 
These  need  never  conflict.  Certainly,  adornment  should 
be  subordinate  to  comfort.  Fashion  often  says :  "  Thin 
slippers  and  a  small  waist."  The  law  of  God  says: 
''Follow  nature  and  care  for  good  health."  Students 
of  the  subject  say  that  in  an  average  well  dressed  audi- 
ence not  one  lady  in  ten  can  take  a  full  breath.  The 
lungs,  the  heart  and  other  vital  organs  are  compressed 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  79 

in  unhealthy  ways  by  tight  dressing,  often  leading  to 
debility  and  suffering  in  themselves  and  in  their  chil- 
dren. It  is  to  be  presumed  that  our  ladies  who  excel 
in  piety  have  not  seriously  considered  the  subject  of 
their  dress  as  being  covered  by  this  commandment. 
Thin  shoes  and  bare  arms  venture  out  to  a  late  party 
on  a  winter's  night,  a  severe  cold  sometimes  follows 
and  a  speedy  death.  We  say,  What  a  mysterious  prov- 
idence to  take  one  so  young!  Do  we  not  know  that  the 
laws  of  providence  are  in  favor  of  good  health  and  long 
life,  and  that  sickness  and  death  often  come  directly 
from  our  disobedience  of  these  laws. 

This  commandment  directs  us  in  the  conduct  of  our 
business.  In  gaining  our  living  we  are  not  needlessly 
to  risk  our  lives.  We  are  to  be  masters  of  our  business, 
not  mastered  by  it.  There  is  a  reckless  pursuit  of  busi- 
ness as  well  as  of  pleasure.  Both  are  forbidden.  Many 
a  business  man  breaks  down  under  the  strain  he  had  no 
right  to  assume.  The  feverish  excitement  and  danger- 
ous rush  of  our  American  life  may  build  up  fortunes 
and  advance  the  general  material  prosperity,  but  do  not 
have  the  highest  regard  for  human  life.  "  Better  wear 
out  than  rust  out,"  is  probably  true,  but  neither  is  good. 
God  commands  us  to  cherish  our  lives. 

The  question  of  health  and  life  is  not  one  of  mere 
expediency  and  choice  but  of  duty.  We  are  not  to  make 
light  of  this  life,  but  to  value  it  properly.  We  are  not 
to  take  care  of  it  for  mere  enjoyment,  but  for  the 
earnest  service  of  God  to  whom  it  belongs,  and  of  our 
fellow  men  who  also  belong  to  God.  We  are  to  keep 
the  life  in  good  condition  by  use  and  for  use.  The  time 
may  come  when  the  life  God  calls  us  to  guard  so  care- 


8o  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

fully  he  will  call  us  to  give  as  freely,  to  lay  it  down 
upon  the  altar  of  our  country,  or  in  the  care  of  other 
lives  committed  to  our  charge,  or  as  His  witnesses  at 
the  martyr's  stake.  Such  calls  make  heroes.  The  three 
hundred  who  defended  Greece  were  heroes.  He  was  a 
hero  as  well  who  a  few  days  ago  on  Long  Island  Sound 
stood  in  the  pilot  house,  with  the  flames  around  him 
blistering  his  hands  and  face  and  endangering  his  life, 
and  firmly  guided  the  vessel  till  it  struck  the  shore. 
Such  calls  may  never  come  to  us.  But  the  call  of  duty 
is  now  upon  us  to  take  the  best  care  of  the  life  God  has 
given  us  and  use  it  in  His  service. 

God  requires  further  in  this  commandment  that  each 
one  shall  hold  the  life  of  others  sacred  as  well  as  his 
own.  He  is  forbidden  to  take  it.  He  is  commanded  to 
care  for  it.  In  our  law-abiding  land  where  the  State 
enforces  this  commandment,  the  need  of  self-defense 
seldom  arises,  though  the  right  clearl}^  remains.  In  en- 
forcing this  commandment  the  State  inflicts  the  death- 
penalty  for  murder  not  because  she  has  any  inherent 
right  over  the  lives  of  her  citizens,  but  since  God  has 
made  this  her  duty  in  the  law  given  to  Noah,  which  con- 
firms the  instinct  of  justice  in  our  natures.  The  growing 
sentiment  in  Christian  lands  that  nations  should  live 
together  peacefully,  that  they  have  no  more  right  to 
fight  and  kill  than  individuals  have,  and  consequently 
that  war  generally  is  a  stupendous  crime,  is  in  clear 
harmony  with  this  commandment.  The  right  to  defend 
the  national  existence  clearly  exists,  as  does  the  right  of 
individual  self-defense,  but  international  law  in  our 
Christian  civilization  should  prevent  all  call  for  the  exer- 
cise of  this  right. 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  8 1 

We  are  to  have  such  high  regard  for  human  life,  our 
own  and  our  neighbors',  as  belonging  to  God  that  we  will 
neither  neglect,  injure  nor  destroy  it,  nor  harbor  any  feel- 
ings leading  that  way,  but  will  guard  and  cherish  it  and 
will  cultivate  those  views  and  feelings  which  recognize 
its  sacredness.  All  malice  and  hatred  are  clearly  for- 
bidden. We  are  to  guard  our  hearts  against  their 
entrance.  If  they  are  already  there  they  must  be 
expelled  at  once,  they  must  not  be  harbored  or  in  any 
way  gratified.  Not  only  by  blow  or  weapon  is  it  pos- 
sible to  mar  or  shorten  life.  Hateful  treatment  and 
malicious  words  may  give  sensitive  spirits  deep  and 
deadly  wounds.  While  we  are  not  to  cherish  malicious 
feelings  in  any  degree,  we  are  to  carefully  guard  against 
awakening  such  feelings  in  others.  The  contentious 
spirit  is  to  be  checked  in  its  small  beginnings,  for  its 
natural  tendency  is  to  hard  feelings  and  deadly  hatred. 
Our  pride  is  not  to  be  cultivated,  for  an  over-estimate  of 
our  own  importance  is  sure  to  be  cut  to  the  quick  by 
the  slights  of  others,  and  arousing  into  anger  will  cherish 
the  desire  for  revenge.  High  temper  quickly  flies  into 
anger  when  provoked  and  often  acts  and  speaks  in  the 
heat  of  passion,  adding  fuel  to  its  own  flame  and 
striking  fire  into  other  hearts.  It  is  said  that  Julius 
Caesar  won  many  victories  over  bis  own  spirit  by  the 
simple  rule  never  to  speak  or  act  when  provoked  until 
he  had  repeated  slowly  the  Roman  alphabet.  As  we 
have  that  alphabet  in  use  now-a-days  we  can  all  be  like 
great  Cgesar  in  that  respect,  and  the  more  fiery  our  tem- 
per the  greater  our  need  to  follow  his  example.  It  is 
a  question  which  is  Avorse,  "  Quick  to  anger  and  quick 
6 


82  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

to  cool,"  or  "  Slow  to  anger  and  slow  to  cool."  Cher- 
ished enmity  and  quick  hatred  are  alike  forbidden. 

Not  all  anger  is  wrong.  When  a  sense  of  justice 
exists  with  any  strength  anger  will  be  aroused  by  the 
sight  of  wrong.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  angry  with 
the  Pharisees  who  murmured  against  his  cures  on  the 
Sabbath  day,  and  was  filled  with  moral  indignation 
when  he  drove  the  money-changers  from  the  Temple. 
But  our  anger  must  be  of  a  judicial  nature  to  be  justi- 
fied. Selfishness,  which  blinds  a  judge,  should  not  enter 
into  it,  and  it  should  never  be  immoderate  in  degree  or 
continuance,  taking  on  the  hue  of  hatred.  Neither  is 
it  possible  that  we  should  be  insulted  and  not  feel  it. 
Christian  manhood  may  feel  the  insult  and  keenly  make 
known  its  feeling  without  flaming  into  resentment.  So 
our  Savior  felt  the  insult  when  smitten  on  the  face  and 
made  known  his  feelings  in  the  keen  rebuke,  "If  I  have 
spoken  evil  bear  witness  of  the  evil ;  but  if  well  why 
smitest  thou  me  ?  " 

We  are  to  beware  of  having  any  prejudice  against 
our  neighbor.  We  are  to  think  of  him  kindly  and 
speak  of  him  and  to  him  kindly,  no  matter  what  he 
thinks  of  us,  or  how  he  speaks  of  us  or  to  us,  or  even  if 
he  will  not  speak  to  us  at  all.  We  are  to  cherish  no 
enmity  in  our  hearts  though  he  may  have  enmity  in  his, 
but  are  to  cultivate  a  loving  and  forgiving  spirit,  and 
to  seek  in  wise  and  loving  ways  to  win  his  respect  and 
good  will.  All  private  grudges  and  neighborhood  feuds 
if  they  stand  at  all  must  stand  under  the  frowning  face 
of  this  commandment.  Neither  can  cool  indifference 
to  our  neighbors'  welfare  find  any  place  in  our  hearts 
under  this  law  of  God.     The  rich,  the  learned  and  the 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  83 

socialJy  distinguished,  while  they  must  have  special 
enjoyment  with  their  own  class,  are  never  to  forget  that 
man  is  man  wherever  found,  that  human  life  is  sacred, 
however  unadorned  it  may  be,  and  that  they  are  to  cher- 
ish the  lives  of  their  neighbors  as  their  own,  seeking 
their  highest  well-being,  since  all  alike  belong  to  God. 

In  the  social  arrangements  of  the  day  lives  are  often 
placed  in  the  charge  of  others.  Those  having  this 
charge  should  pay  special  attention  to  this  command- 
ment. Those  ^vho  have  the  management  of  the  great 
forces  of  civilization,  steam  power  and  electricity,  are 
responsible  to  God  for  the  use  of  the  power  with  which 
He  has  clothed  them.  Lives  are  under  their  care  in 
crowded  factory,  stately  vessel  or  rushing  train.  If  in 
caring  for  and  serving  these  lives  they  can  earn  a  fair 
money  reward,  who  can  question  their  right  to  enjoy  it  ? 
But  if,  seeking  simply  money,  they  are  carelessly  indif- 
ferent to  their  charge,  and  lives  are  lost,  the  largest 
dividends  will  be  powerless  to  cleanse  their  souls  from 
the  guilt  of  blood.  The  owner  of  a  tenement  house,  if 
he  regards  this  commandment  at  all,  will  seek  the 
health,  comfort  and  welfare  of  his  tenants.  Builders 
of  roads,  bridges  and  houses,  if  they  regard  this  com- 
mandment at  all,  will  seek  not  only  good  wages  but 
mainly  to  do  good  work,  that  men's  lives  may  be  safe. 
Employers  of  labor,  if  they  regard  this  commandment 
at  all,  will  not  mar  and  shorten  the  lives  under  their 
care  by  excessive  work  and  insufficient  wages.  They 
will  remember  that  they  are  employing  men,  and  they 
are  to  cherish  the  lives  of  all  men,  especially  of  those 
under  their  care. 

Our  personal  responsibility  to  God  is  not  lost  in  our 


84  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

being  members  of  a  community.  This  commandment 
directs  us  to  be  good  citizens  and  to  seek  the  health 
and  welfare  of  all  the  members  of  the  community  where 
we  dwell.  The  sanitary  arrangements  of  city,  town 
and  village  are  commended  to  our  attention.  We  may 
not  neglect  them  without  guilt.  One  is  not  to  be  so 
absorbed  in  his  own  comforts  and  the  guards  he  has 
placed  about  his  own  life,  and  his  family's,  that  he 
neglects  the  general  health  and  welfare.  The  com- 
mandment enjoins  upon  us  that  public  spirit  which 
seeks  the  best  drainage,  the  purest  water  supply,  and  all 
those  arrangements  which  tend  to  make  the  community- 
life  both  pleasant  and  safe.  The  sanitary  condition  of 
a  country  home  is  also  to  be  considered  by  the  owner, 
not  only  for  its  inmates  but  for  its  neighbors  also. 

We  have  lived  together  in  this  community  for  now 
nearly  a  dozen  years,  and  you  and  I  can  think  on  the 
instant  of  several  men  who  have  beyond  question  died 
from  the  effects  of  intoxicating  drinks  during  that  time. 
It  was  their  own  fault,  j^ou  say.  True,  but  not  the 
whole  truth.  The  liquor  seller  is  to  blame,  you  say. 
He  ought  not  to  have  sold  to  drunkards,  or  to  those 
intoxicated.  True.  I  have  not  one  word  to  say  in  his 
excuse ;  but  again,  not  the  whole  truth.  These  men 
who  died,  when  they  were  boys  saw  respectable  men  go 
into  bar-rooms  and  drink.  When  they  became  young 
men  they  began  to  drink,  treated  often  by  these  respect- 
able men,  and  treating  one  another ;  and  so  they  con- 
tinued drinking.  The  sale  of  liquor  was  open,  almost 
free,  and  patronized  by  men  they  respected.  Evidently 
the  system  in  which  they  lived  had  something  to  do 
with  their  deaths.     Now  the  laws  of  the  State  in  which 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  85 

we  live  give  us  in  this  community  full  power  to  stop 
this  system,  if  we  so  choose,  and  will  take  the  trouble 
to  do  it.  It  exists  to-day,  and  has  existed  all  these 
years  because  we  do  not  choose  and  will  not  take  the 
trouble  to  stop  it.  And  these  ten  or  a  dozen  men  who 
have  died  are  to  blame  for  their  deaths.  Yes.  The  liquor 
seller  is  also  to  blame.  Yes — and  something  more.  We 
are  to  blame !  Our  garments  are  not  free  from  their 
blood.  That  which  has  been  will  be.  Within  the  next 
few  years  a  few  more  men  will  come  to  untimely  deaths. 
Some  wlio  are  near  and  dear  to  us  and  who  would  in  a 
different  social  system  live  noble  and  useful  lives.  You 
and  I  know  it  will  be  so,  and  that  it  will  be  so  because 
we  do  not  choose  and  will  not  take  the  trouble  to  stop 
the  almost  free  and  somewhat  respectable  and  attract- 
ive sale  of  liquor  on  our  streets.  Our  indifference  to 
the  matter  is  in  direct  violation  of  this  commandment. 
We  ought  to  face  our  responsibility  now  rather  than 
put  it  off  into  eternity,  for  face  it  some  time  we  must. 

The  sacredness  of  life  enjoined  in  the  commandment 
covers  not  merely  the  bodily  life,  it  lies  specially  in  our 
spiritual  life,  in  the  image  of  God.  Is  life  worth  living? 
asks  the  worldly  philosopher,  as  if  there  was  some  doubt 
about  it.  Worth  living  ?  Surely  it  is,  since  our  spiritual 
life  though  fallen  may  be  brought  into  a  shape  worthy 
of  God,  our  Father.  Herein  we  see  the  highest  realm 
of  this  commandment,  the  true  sacredness  of  life.  We 
are  carefully  to  avoid  in  ourselves  and  in  our  influence 
all  those  things  which  would  have  any  tendency  to 
destroy  the  soul.  We  are  to  diligently  cultivate  in  our- 
selves and  in  our  influence  all  those  things  which  have 
any  tendency  to  ennoble  the  soul.     The  value  of  the 


86  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

soul,  the  sacredness  of  life,  who  can  estimate  it  aright  I 
"  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners." 
He  died  upon  the  cross  giving  "  His  life  a  ransom  for 
many."  The  mission  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  His  life 
and  death,  show  the  estimate  God  places  upon  our  lives, 
the  love  of  God  for  us.  The  more  clear  and  controlling 
our  faith  in  the  Savior,  the  more  fully  we  live  a  Chris- 
tian life  and  put  forth  a  Christian  influence  over  our 
fellowmen,  the  more  in  harmony  we  will  be  with  the 
requirement  of  this  commandment.  Praise  God,  that  he 
created  us  in  his  image  !  Praise  God,  for  the  glorious 
salvation  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  I 


THE  SEVENTH  COMMANDMENT. 

Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery." — Ex.  20  :  14. 

Morality  is  an  essential  part  of  religion.  God  can- 
not be  truly  honored  without  it.  Neither  can  there  be 
true  morality  without  honoring  God.  This  character- 
istic of  the  law  elevates  duty  to  man  to  the  highest  pos- 
sible plane,  makes  it  a  part  of  duty  to  God — hence  there 
is  a  sacredness  in  it.  We  found  in  the  sixth  command- 
ment a  sacredness  of  human  life.  We  are  forbidden  to 
destroy  it.  We  are  commanded  to  cherish  it.  In  the 
seventh  commandment  we  see  the  sacredness  of  mar- 
riage. Now  marriage  is  the  crown  of  the  relationship 
between  the  sexes,  hence  there  is  a  sacredness  in  that 
whole  relationship.  We  are  forbidden  to  destroy  it. 
We  are  commanded  to  cherish  it. 

We  see  at  once  that  this  precept,  as  in  the  former 
instances,  is  joined  to  and  advances  from  the  preceding 
one.  The  life  guarded  in  the  sixth  commandment 
exists  in  sexes,  and  so  exists  for  the  purpose  of  perpetuat- 
ing itself  in  successive  generations.  Hence  the  marriage 
relation  has  that  main  end  in  view.  There  are  other 
important  ends,  but  they  are  subordinate  to  this  main 
one.  That  therefore  is  a  healthful  and  holy  way  of 
looking  at  marriage,  of  entering  it  and  of  living  in  it, 
which  desires  and  cherishes  children  as  the  gift  of  God, 
his  rich  blessing  upon  it.  Any  other  view  must  fall 
far  short  of  being  either  healthful  or  holy.  It  is  said 
that  American  families  are  becoming  very  small,  and 

87 


88  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

that  many  exist  without  a  single  child.  Where  this  is 
the  case  from  human  desire  and  purpose,  rejecting 
God's  offered  gifts,  it  must  be  clearly  seen  as  contrary 
to  the  divine  law  of  marriagCo  I  can  only  touch  upon 
the  subject  at  this  time  and  in  this  place,  but  I  wish  to 
make  the  point  in  such  a  way  that  it  cannot  be  mis- 
understood. 

This  commandment,  as  it  covers  the  whole  relation- 
ship between  men  and  women,  brings  before  us  a  most 
important  and  delicate  subject  which  beyond  question 
ought  to  receive  proper  attention  from  the  Christian 
pulpit.  Happily  our  Savior  has  thrown  the  delicacy 
and  sanctity  of  his  teachings  upon  the  subject,  and  we 
will  now  select  two  passages  from  these  to  direct  our 
further  study.  The  first  directs  how  men  and  women 
should  regard  each  other  outside  of  the  marriage  rela- 
tionship, and  the  second  speaks  of  the  marriage  relation 
itself. 

The  first  passage  is  found  in  Matt.  5 :  27,  28.  The 
tradition  taught  that  the  commandment  forbade  simply 
the  act  of  adultery.  More,  says  Christ,  it  forbids  all 
impure  thoughts  and  desires.  Our  Savior  here  teaches 
us  very  plainly  that  impure  thoughts  and  desires  are 
forbidden  not  merely  as  leading  to  sin,  but  as  sin  in 
themselves. 

Let  us  be  as  practical  as  possible  about  guarding 
against  the  beginnings  of  this  sin.  We  who  are  parents 
should  guard  against  its  beginning  in  our  children.  We 
are  prone  to  neglect  them  at  a  particular  point  in  their 
lives  when  they  most  need  our  guidance,  the  point  when 
a  boy  becomes  a  man,  when  a  girl  becomes  a  woman. 
We  all  agree  that  ignorance  is  not  the  mother  of  devo- 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  89 

tion,  and  yet  act  as  if  ignorance  was  the  mother  of 
purity.  Knowledge  is  the  basis  of  true  religion  and  the 
safe-guard  of  virture.  Our  children  will  learn  concern- 
ing the  new-born  passions  which  fire  their  imagination, 
either  from  impure  companions  or  from  you,  the  pure 
teachers  God  appoints:  and  it  is  a  matter  of  tremendous 
importance  whether  they  learn  purely  or  impurely.  If 
a  father  will  take  his  boy  aside  and  give  him  full  in- 
struction concerning  his  new  life,  it  may  save  the  father 
many  a  heart-ache  and  the  boy  untold  woe  and  wretch- 
edness. If  a  mother  will  in  like  manner  instruct  her 
daughter,  it  will  win  her  confidence  and  prove  a  safe- 
guard of  purity  of  inestimable  value.  These  new-born 
passions  have  a  wise  purpose  in  the  will  of  God,  and 
governed  by  his  law  they  become  the  source  of  the 
purest  and  richest  blessings.  They  are  as  God's  gift  of 
fire  to  us.  Controlled,  it  makes  our  firesides  places  of 
comfort  and  cheer ;  uncontrolled,  it  consumes  our  homes 
and  leaves  us  miserable  wanderers  over  a  wintry  waste. 
They  are,  like  fire,  excellent  servants  but  terrible 
masters.  It  is  well  to  know  their  nature  and  God's  law 
for  their  control. 

We  will  all  do  well,  and  especially  the  young,  to  cul- 
tivate a  taste  for  purity,  so  keen  and  sensitive  that  it 
will  instinctively  turn  from  the  suggestion  of  impurity 
with  loathing.  We  can  do  this  in  selecting  our  read- 
ing, and  there  is  much  need  of  it.  We  are  in  little 
danger  from  the  boldly  and  openly  impure,  from  vile 
pictures  and  books.  Such  are  for  the  already  vile,  and 
plainly  marked  "  poison "  to  all  others.  But  men  of 
great  genius  are  not  always  men  of  pure  morals,  and 
their   works   often  throw  the  fascinating  glamour  of 


90  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

genius  around  impurity.  There  are  many  novels  and 
poems  of  insinuating  vice  and  suggestive  impurity.  It 
is  wise  to  let  our  novel  reading  be  a  very  small  propor- 
tion of  the  whole,  simply  for  needed  recreation,  and 
then  only  the  very  best,  of  noble  characters  and  heroic 
deeds ;  and  our  poetry,  of  fair  ideals  and  beautiful  scenes. 
The  nude  in  art,  the  immoral  in  the  drama,  the  lewd  in 
literature,  however  true  to  nature,  though  the  highest 
specimens  of  the  realistic  school — the  spirit  looking  out 
from  these  is  the  hideous  spirit  of  lust.  A  bright 
imagination  under  the  control  of  conscience  is  an  en- 
nobling possession.  An  impure  imagination  is  an  ever 
present  curse.  Soar  among  the  stars,  dwell  among  the 
flowers  if  you  will,  but  when  so  many  beautiful  and 
grand  subjects  invite  you,  do  not  degrade  your  noble 
powers  by  diving  into  filthy  pools.  The  selection  of  a 
newspaper  is  not  always  an  easy  matter  from  this  point 
of  view.  However  ably  conducted,  and  however  cheap, 
that  paper  is  a  dangerous  visitor  to  our  homes  which 
slurs  virtue  and  revels  in  vice.  Let  it  go  to  its  own 
company,  while  we  welcome  the  one  which  tells  of  vice 
with  shame  and  of  virtue  with  delight. 

We  should  cultivate  the  taste  for  purity  in  the  choice 
of  our  companionship.  Associate  with  those  who  tol- 
erate sensual  manners,  undue  familiarity,  broad  speech, 
unclean  stories,  and  we  will  speedily  lower  our  ideas  of 
propriety,  and  dangerously  wound  our  faith  in  the  honor 
of  woman  and  in  the  virtue  of  man.  Let  our  acquaint- 
anceship even,  as  far  as  it  is  a  matter  of  our  choice,  be 
of  those  whose  delight  is  in  pure  thinking  and  feeling, 
in  clean  speaking  and  living,  and  let  our  friendship, 
which  is  altogether  a  matter  of  choice,  be  only  with  the 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  9I 

pure.  There  are  men,  and,  alas!  some  women,  who 
deliberately  prefer  vice  to  virtue,  the  excitement  of 
animal  passions  to  the  testimony  of  a  good  conscience 
and  a  pure  heart,  who  sneer  at  chastity  and  modesty 
and  purity,  who  have  none  of  these  in  themselves,  but 
the  reverse,  the  devil's  look  in  the  eye,  and  the  devil's 
lust  in  the  heart.  Such  should  awaken  our  thorough 
contempt,  and  oftentimes  the  most  faithful  and  kindly 
treatment  we  can  give  them  is  to  let  them  see  very 
plainly  how  much  we  despise  them.  Christian  public 
opinion  should  always  seek  to  awaken  repentance  and 
restoration,  but  this  it  can  never  do  by  appearing  to 
approve  in  the  slightest  degree  of  the  bold  and  impeni- 
tent slayer  of  virtue. 

Good  books  and  pure  friends  delight  the  mind  and 
cultivate  the  heart.  We  cannot  over-estimate  their 
importance.  We  strive  to  have  in  our  gardens  the 
most  beautiful  flowers  and  the  finest  flavored  fruit,  but 
we  are  careful  to  have  no  poison  vine  however  brilliant 
its  colors  trail  over  the  flowers,  no  poison  berries  how- 
ever tempting  to  the  sight  hang  side  by  side  with  the 
fruit.  Let  us  take  at  least  as  good  care  of  our  minds 
and  hearts  as  we  do  of  our  gardens. 

Now  we  may  approach  the  subject  of  marriage.  A 
high  ideal  of  marriage  is  a  great  incentive  to  purity  of 
heart.  If  young  people  anticipate  a  pure  marriage 
every  step  towards  it  must  be  in  the  way  of  virtue.  If 
you  wish  to  win  a  pure  white  soul  for  your  life-long 
companion  you  will  be  unwilling  to  give  less  than  you 
wish  to  receive.  You  will  keep  your  own  soul  sweet 
and  clean. 

Supreme  affection  adequately  tested,  and  an  oppor- 


92  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

tunity  to  marry,  you  may  regard  as  the  call  of  God  to 
the  pure  state  of  marriage ;  not  a  passing  fancy,  but  a 
well  tried  affection ;  not  mere  admiration  for  beauty  of 
person,  but  deep  regard  for  beauty  of  character.  This 
may  arise  suddenly,  ''love  at  first  sight,"  or  it  may  be 
the  growth  of  a  long  and  intimate  friendship,  only  be 
sure  it  is  a  supreme  and  worthy  affection.  Not  mar- 
riage from  heedless  impulse  without  thought,  not  mar- 
riage from  convenience  without  heart,  not  marriage 
simply  to  be  married  because  one  has  a  chance  and  it 
may  be  now  or  never.  Such  motives  may  seem  angelic 
beings  beckoning  on  to  a  happy  life,  but  may  prove  to 
be  demons  leading  to  wretchedness.  Better  wait  until 
God  calls  you  to  enter  marriage  by  giving  you  a  deep 
true  love  to  lead  the  way.  And  the  opportunity  to 
marry  should  be  not  merely  responsive  love,  but  a  clear 
intimation  in  His  providence  as  seen  in  bodily  health 
and  surrounding  conditions,  that  you  will  be  able  to 
form  that  sweetest  of  all  places  on  earth,  a  Christian 
home.  Now  in  your  courtship  and  engagement  cherish 
pure  thoughts  and  noble  purposes.  Let  no  thought, 
word  or  action  undermine  your  own  high  self-respect 
or  the  pure  regard  you  should  hold  for  the  one  you 
love.  These  you  should  have  now,  and  when  in  after 
married  life  you  look  back  in  memory  to  your  courtship 
days. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  second  passage  selected  from 
the  teachings  of  our  Savior  which  sets  forth  the  nature 
of  the  marriage  relation.  This  is  found  in  the  10th 
chapter  of  Mark,  from  the  second  to  the  twelfth  verse. 
He  clearly  teaches  that  since  God  hath  made  them  male 
and  female  a  man  will  leave  all  other  ties  and  cleave  to 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  93 

his  wife,  and  that  these  twain  are  no  more  twain  but 
one  flesh,  for  God  hath  joined  them  together. 

Marriage  is  therefore  a  divine  institution  founded  in 
the  nature  of  man  as  created  by  God.  There  is  no 
higher  mode  of  living  for  man  and  woman  than  to  be 
husband  and  wife.  It  is  the  most  intimate  and  sacred 
union  that  can  exist  on  earth,  to  which  all  other  rela- 
tions are  to  give  place.  It  is  the  union  of  one  man 
and  one  woman  for  life,  whose  duties  are  not  only  to 
each  other  and  to  society,  but  to  God.  The  legitimate 
power  of  the  State  is  simply  to  enforce  the  law  of  God. 
If  the  State  attempts  to  separate  those  whom  God  hath 
joined  together,  or  to  unite  those  whom  God  forbids  to 
unite,  her  laws  are  nullities  at  the  bar  of  conscience. 
The  polygamy  and  divorce  among  the  Jews  did  not 
arise  from  God's  will,  but  from  the  hardness  of  men's 
hearts.  They  were  contrary  to  God's  law  and  were 
restrained  and  almost  eradicated  by  it.  Here  as  every- 
where the  teaching  of  nature  is  in  harmony  with  the 
Ten  Commandments.  Men  and  women  are  existing 
to-day,  and  always  have  been,  the  wide  world  over,  in 
nearly  equal  numbers,  making  provision  for  such  mar- 
riages and  for  such  alone.  Besides,  the  supreme  affec- 
tion, which  we  have  seen  is  the  only  natural  basis  of 
marriage,  can  exist  only  between  two,  and  is  life-long. 

We  have  an  organized  system  of  polygamy  within 
the  bounds  of  our  land,  and  the  nation  is  not  much  dis- 
turbed in  conscience  by  the  corrupting  abomination. 
Neither  of  the  political  parties  in  the  present  presiden- 
tial campaign  are  demanding  with  any  earnestness  that 
the  laws  of  God  and  of  the  United  States  against 
polygamy  should  be  enforced  in  the  Territories.     They 


94  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

evidently  do  not  believe  that  the  presentation  of  such 
a  moral  issue  would  secure  many  votes.  The  abomina- 
tion goes  on,  and  we,  the  people,  do  not  much  care. 

But  there  is  a  worse  feature  still  in  our  national  life. 
The  law  of  God  recognizes  but  one  ground  of  divorce, 
adultery.  This  is  emphatically  taught  by  our  Savior. 
The  divorce  laws  of  many  States  are  in  open  conflict 
with  this  law  of  God.  Cruelty,  desertion,  drunkenness 
and  lesser  causes  are  grounds  of  divorce,  and  in  a  few 
States  the  power  to  grant  divorce  is  left  largely  to  the 
discretion  of  the  courts  who  frequently  can  hear  but 
one  side  of  the  case.  So  incompatibility  of  temper  is 
deemed  a  sufficient  cause  for  man  to  put  asunder  what 
God  has  joined  together.  Our  own  State  keeps  close 
to  the  Christian  standard,  but  she  is  beginning  to  feel 
the  corrupting  influence  of  bad  neighbors.  These  lax 
divorce  laws  lower  the  estimate  of  marriage :  they  cul- 
tivate heedlessness  in  entering  marriage :  they  foster  a 
spirit  of  restlessness  in  marriage,  for  many  frivolous 
quarrels  would  be  quenched  by  the  permanency  of  the 
relation  which  are  inflamed  by  the  prospect  of  an  easy 
separation :  and  they  encourage  and  make  light  of  infi- 
delity in  marriage.  Their  whole  tendency  is  to  disin- 
tegrate the  home  and  degrade  womanhood. 

God's  institution  of  marriage  is  the  foundation  of  the 
family,  and  the  family  is  the  foundation  of  Society,  the 
State,  and  the  Church.  Rome  rose  by  the  sanctity  of 
her  family  life,  and  fell  when  it  was  undermined,  as  any 
fabric  however  stately  will  fall  when  the  foundation  is 
removed.  Her  rise  was  through  the  courage  of  her 
men  and  the  virtue  of  her  women.  The  perpetual  fire 
on  the  altar  of  the  Temple  of  Vesta  tended  by  a  chosen 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  95 

band  of  white-robed  virgins  was  a  true  symbol  of  her 
strength.  But  the  days  of  degeneration  came  and  the 
fire  flickered  and  went  out.  There  were  no  divorces  in 
the  early  years  of  her  history.  There  were  many  easily 
obtained  divorces  in  the  years  of  her  luxury.  Mutual 
consent  was  all  that  was  needed  to  break  the  tie.  Now 
the  Roman  laws  in  their  later  laxness  are  at  the  basis 
of  much  of  our  divorce  legislation,  and  have  displaced 
the  law  of  God.  We  should  be  aroused  from  indiffer- 
ence by  her  experience.  Like  cause  will  produce  like 
effect.  Beyond  love  of  our  country  Christian  sentiment 
should  arouse  in  its  strength  and  impress  God's  law  of 
marriage  upon  the  statute  books  of  our  States. 

It  is  enough  to  enshrine  marriage  in  our  regard  that 
it  is  ordained  by  God  and  governed  by  his  law.  Now 
all  God's  laws  are  for  the  highest  good  of  man,  and 
hence  we  find  many  inestimable  blessings  flowing  from 
marriage. 

It  confers  happiness  upon  the  married.  True,  there 
are  unhappy  marriages.  Those  who  marry  for  property 
will  be  very  apt  to  find  the  husband  or  wife  an  incum- 
brance. Those  who  marry  heedlessly  will  find  here  as 
everywhere  that  heedlessness  brings  disaster.  But  the 
great  majority  of  married  people  are  happier  for  the 
marriage,  as  happy  as  their  circumstances  and  character 
will  allow.  Poverty  can  never  have  the  pleasures  of 
wealth,  but  can  have  more  pleasure  in  a  loving  marriage 
than  in  single  loneliness.  Love  makes  many  a  cottage 
happy.  Covetousness  can  never  have  the  pleasure  of 
generosity,  but  in  a  loving  marriage  it  finds  dwarfing 
influences,  and  so  becomes  a  smaller  barrier  to  happi- 
ness.    Selfishness  in  whatever  form  can  never  have  real 


96  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

happiness,  but  true  love  in  marriage  tends  to  destroy 

selfishness. 

Marriage  is  God's  grand  institution  for  cultivating 
love  in  human  hearts.  What  would  this  sin-stricken 
world  be  without  the  affections  of  the  family  circle,  the 
love  of  husband  and  wife,  parents  and  children,  brothers 
and  sisters  ?  What  refining  influences  come  into  this 
world  with  a  little  child !  What  delightful  and  elevat- 
ing feelings  are  awakened  by  a  babe  !  Oh,  mothers  ! 
rocking  the  cradle,  you  may  well  look  up  to  God  with 
eyes  filled  with  happy  tears.  He  has  bestowed  upon 
you  a  most  precious  gift.  You  may  well  look  down 
upon  your  babe  with  unspeakable  love.  You  may  well 
look  out  into  the  future  picturing  for  your  child  a  noble 
life  on  earth,  and  an  eternal  blessedness  in  heaven. 
Happiest  of  women  !  you  have  an  immortal  soul  akin 
to  yours  in  your  loving  care.  How  selfish  and  narrow 
and  hard  our  hearts  and  lives  would  become  were  it  not 
for  God's  gift  of  cliildren,  awakening  gratitude  to  him, 
self-sacrificing  love  for  them  and  all  the  sweet  sym- 
pathies and  tender  patient  ministries  of  the  home  !  What 
more  helpless  than  a  babe  ?  God  in  marriage  secures 
the  might  of  love  for  its  helplessness.  What  more 
ignorant  ?  God  secures  teachers  whose  patience  is  well 
nigh  inexhaustible.  Is  there  danger  the  child  may 
become  rough  and  selfish?  In  the  required  yielding  to 
one  another  of  brothers  and  sisters  of  different  ages  is 
found  an  antidote  of  selfishness  and  the  cultivation 
of  gentle  manners.  Certainly  the  child  will  need 
government.  The  family  is  God's  place  for  cultivating 
obedience  to  law  from  the  earlest  hours  of  childhood. 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  97 

Submission  to  right  authority  is  the  spirit  of  a  good 
child,  of  a  good  citizen,  of  a  good  Christian. 

Is  there  any  wonder  then  that  God  guards  this  blessed 
institution  of  marriage  against  all  that  would  pollute  and 
destroy  it  ?  If  the  frequency  and  earnestness  of  the 
warnings  of  the  Holy  Scripture  against  any  sin  measure 
the  tendency  of  man  to  commit  that  sin,  then  impurity 
is  one  of  the  most  fearfully  prevalent  and  dreadful  sins 
of  the  race  ;  and  so  the  history  of  the  past  and  of  to-day 
plainly  teaches.  The  lurking  places  of  this  sin  exist  in 
every  large  city.  "  Dead  Seas,"  some  one  has  called 
them,  whose  vapors  even  are  deadly,  and  these  seas 
have  their  bays  and  inlets  in  every  town  and  village  of 
our  land.  The  Proverbs  speak  in  warning  of  the  strange 
woman.  She  uses  all  her  charms  to  corrupt  and  destroy 
men,  especially  young  men.  As  she  passes  along  the 
streets  she  awakens  the  laugh  of  bad  men,  the  pity  of 
good  men,  and  the  horror  of  the  pure.  She  sinks  down 
into  the  hell  of  misery  and  despair.  But  she  sinks  not 
alone ;  she  drags  down  with  her  many  whom  she  has 
corrupted.  Well  may  her  house  be  called  the  gate-way 
of  hell !  Once  she  was  a  babe  in  her  mother's  arms. 
Once  she  was  a  beautiful  maiden,  the  pride  of  her 
brother's  heart.  But  thoughts  of  evil  entered  her  heart, 
"she  forsook  the  guide  of  her  youth,"  her  footsteps 
took  the  pathway  to  hell,  and  she  soon  became  the 
tempter  of  others. 

And  surely  there  must  be  in  hell  a  place  still  lower 
than  hers  which  belongs  to  him  who  first  instilled  those 
thoughts  of  evil  into  her  heart,  and  who  led  her  by  the 
hand  when  her  footsteps  were  first  directed  in  the  path- 
way of  vice.     How  will  he  quail  when  he  stands  before 

7 


98  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

the  pure  white  throne  of  the  Judge  of  all !  And  if 
there  is  a  still  lower  place  in  hell  it  must  belong  to  the 
viper,  who,  crawling  into  the  family,  fastens  his  glitter- 
ing eyes  upon  the  cherished  wife  and  fascinates  her  to 
her  ruin.  The  lightning  of  God's  wrath  will  flash  its 
hot  cuttings  of  remorse  through  his  heart,  and  though 
hers,  forevermore.  And  surely  there  must  be  a  still 
lower  place  in  hell  for  the  married  man  who  leaves  a 
confiding  wife,  betraying  her  trust  and  love,  proves 
false  to  his  most  solemn  vows,  and  in  his  sensual  lust 
revels  with  the  impure  only  to  make  them  more  impure, 
damning  both  himself  and  them. 

Our  laws  are  lax  here  too.  They  do  not  regard 
adultery  and  its  hideous  kindred  as  crimes.  To  steal 
ten  dollars  sends  a  man  to  prison.  To  steal  happiness 
and  honor  only  gives  a  right  to  sue  for  damages.  And 
has  Society,  the  State,  no  interest  in  such  things  ?  Surely 
adultery  is  a  crime.  It  should  be  so  pronounced  by  the 
State — a  crime  next  in  penalty  to  murder.  Public 
opinion  has  some  healthfulness  in  it,  but  is  unjust  in 
giving  its  severest  condemnation  to  the  woman.  Even 
when  she  is  the  tempter,  the  man  should  be  at  least 
equally  condemned ;  and  it  is  too  weak  to  demand  laws 
making  the  offense  criminal.  The  more  of  delicacy  and 
sanctity  there  is  thrown  around  the  relation  of  the 
sexes,  and  the  more  of  personal  honor  there  is  secured 
to  woman,  the  more  elevated  and  strong  will  be  the 
character  of  the  State ;  and  her  laws  should  be  framed 
like  to  God's  law,  to  secure  these  ends.  If  Tacitus  is 
to  be  believed  our  forefathers,  when  they  lived  under 
the  German  forests,  were  comparatively  free  from  the 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  99 

common  leprosy  of  barbarism.  They  considered  there 
was  something  divine  in  woman.  They  reverenced  a 
pure  family  life.  They  taught  the  young  the  spirit  of 
purity.  It  was  their  custom  to  bury  the  adulterer 
alive  in  the  mud.  The  Anglo-Saxons  are  the  most 
powerful  race  on  earth  to-day.  One  secret  of  their 
power  is  that  from  the  first  they  have  reverenced  virtue. 
Our  hold  on  power  depends  largely  upon  our  hold  on 
purity.  May  it  not  be,  with  us,  as  it  was  with  the 
ancient  Romans,  that  our  virtue  becomes  corrupted  by 
the  power  and  luxury  it  has  gained.  However  silent 
our  laws  may  be,  let  us  never  forget  that  God  is  not 
silent.  The  Bible  does  not  whisper,  it  thunders  peal  on 
peal  the  hot  denunciations  of  divine  wrath  against  the 
adulterer. 

Marriage  is  further  ennobled  in  our  thought  since 
God  has  chosen  this  most  intimate  and  sacred  union  to 
illustrate  the  union  between  Christ  and  His  Church. 
The  union  illustrated  throws  its  clear  light  back  upon 
the  illustration,  and  shows  married  people  the  spirit 
which  should  rule  their  lives.  Whatever  motives  have 
led  the  way,  and  however  well  or  poorly  suited  to  each 
other  they  may  be,  they  have  entered  the  relationship, 
they  have  assumed  its  duties,  and  now  let  them  cultivate 
that  spirit  which  alone  can  secure  blessing  in  marriage 
and  honor  God.  "  Wives,  submit  yourselves  unto  your 
own  husbands,  as  unto  the  Lord."  Love  and  honor 
him.  Cherish  this  spirit,  for  God  hath  made  him  head 
of  the  family.  "  He  is  the  head  of  the  wife  even  as 
Christ  is  head  of  the  Church."  "  Husbands,  love  your 
wives,  even  as  Christ  also  loved  the  Church."     Cherish 


lOO  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

that  self-sacrificiiig,  peculiar,  ever-faithful  love  for  her 
which  shall  more  and  more  resemble  the  love  Christ 
bears  His  Church.  Know  you  not  that  of  you  twain 
God  hath  made  one  flesh  ?  that  you  are  joined  to  each 
other  by  his  holy  and  blessed  institution  of  marriage  ? 
Whatever  mistakes  yoa  may  have  made,  do  not  try  to 
correct  them  by  making  still  others,  but  cultivate  the 
spirit  God  directs  and  you  will  find  the  blessedness  he 
gives. 

Turn  our  thoughts  now  to  the  union  between  God 
and  His  people.  On  the  plains  of  Northern  Italy  there 
stands  an  ancient  and  beautiful  city.  Near  its  center 
rises  a  building  of  pure  white  marble,  wonderful  for  its 
grandeur  and  beauty,  seeming  more  like  a  dream  from 
heaven  than  a  creation  of  the  earth.  As  one  stands 
upon  the  roof  of  this  cathedral  of  Milan,  surrounded  by 
the  multitude  of  its  dazzling  pinnacles  and  spires,  he  may 
look  far  off  to  the  north,  over  the  plains  and  hills,  until 
his  eye  rests  upon  the  snow-clad  summits  of  the  Alps, 
those  other  pinnacles  and  spires  which  God  himself 
created,  and  clothed  with  the  ever  pure  white  garments 
of  the  skies.  So,  from  this  purest  of  earth's  relation- 
ship we  lift  our  thoughts  to  the  mystical  union  of  life 
and  love,  between  the  heaven  and  the  earth,  the 
marriage  of  the  Church  to  her  Divine  Lord.  Who 
shall  speak  of  the  love  and  faithfulness  of  this  Divine 
Bridegroom,  the  love  which  knows  no  changing,  which 
led  Him  to  lay  down  His  life  for  His  Church  ?  How 
steadily  and  warmly  should  her  love  go  out  to  Him  ! 
Let  her  never  listen  to  the  whispers  of  the  false  world. 
Let  coldness   never  chill  her  heart,  but   may  she   be 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS,  lOI 

always  heavenly  minded  and  clothed  in  the  spotless 
robe  of  His  righteousness,  adorned  as  a  Bride  for  her 
Husband.  Let  us  all  remember  we  are  living  in  the  pres- 
ence of  God,  under  the  pure  eyes  of  our  Savior.  Let 
us  have  our  thoughts  consciously  open  to  His  inspec- 
tion and  our  lives  pure  in  His  sight. 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 

"  Thou  Shalt  not  steal."— Ex.  20 :  15. 

This  globe  upon  which  we  live  belongs  to  God.  He 
made  it.  His  creative  power  brought  it  through  various 
stages  to  its  present  condition.  He  clothed  it  with 
beauty  over  mountain  and  plain  and  sea,  and  He  has 
endowed  it  with  all  its  fruitfulness.  It  is  His.  He  has 
given  a  life  interest  in  it  to  man,  made  it  his  home 
during  the  first,  the  material  stage  of  his  existence. 
With  regard  to  the  earth  itself  and  all  it  contains  man 
is  simply  God's  tenant.  He  owes  homage  and  obedience 
to  the  owner.  The  money  we  give  to  sustain  the  public 
worship  of  God  and  to  advance  His  cause  is  not  charity 
in  the  usual  sense  of  that  word,  but  justice.  His  due. 
That  we  are  left  judges  of  the  amount  and  the  direction 
of  our  contributions,  only  increases  our  obligation ;  as  if 
a  landlord  should  say  to  his  tenant,  "  Make  all  you  can 
from  the  farm  and  give  me  what  you  think  is  a  just 
rent."  And  the  appeal  to  our  honor  is  greater  than  it 
could  be  in  any  such  case,  since  all  we  are  as  well  as  all 
we  have  comes  from  God. 

As  with  our  general  right  in  the  earth,  so  with  our 
particular  property  among  each  other.  The  right  of 
individual  property  comes  from  God.  This  important 
truth  should  be  clearly  seen  and  firmly  held,  especially 
in  our  land  and  day.  It  does  not  arise  from  the  useful- 
ness of  the  arrangement  to  the  well-being  of  society. 
The  expediency   of  any   arrangement  is  a  matter  of 

102 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  IO3 

opinion,  and  the  opinion  of  even  the  great  majority  has 
no  control  over  the  conscience  of  those  who  think 
differently.  But  God  has  written  on  the  conscience, 
"  Thou  shalt  not  steal,"  and  reason  as  he  may,  man 
cannot  entirely  destroy  the  writing.  It  does  not  arise 
from  any  social  agreement  or  compact,  expressed  or 
implied.  Common  consent  does  not  create  the  right  of 
property.  It  can  neither  give  it,  nor  take  it  away.  All 
it  can  do  is  simply  to  recognize  the  fact  that  man  has  a 
right  to  the  results  of  his  enterprise  and  labor.  A  man 
takes  a  cup  of  water  from  a  flowing  river.  It  is  his.  If 
all  men  should  combine  to  take  it  away  from  him,  they 
would  have  to  disobey  the  still  small  voice  of  quiet 
authority  speaking  in  their  souls,  "  Thou  shalt  not 
steal."  Neither  does  the  right  of  individual  property 
arise  from  the  law  of  the  State  or  Nation.  It  exists 
prior  to  such  law  and  entirely  independent  of  it.  The 
law  cannot  ignore  the  right,  cannot  deprive  a  man  of 
his  right.  Neither  can  an  unjust  law  give  a  moral  title 
to  property.  It  cannot  justify  a  conscientious  man  in 
entering  upon  its  possession.  The  saying,  "  I  will  take 
all  the  law  gives  me,"  is  either  immoral  or  thoughtless. 
It  amounts  to  saying,  "  I  will  make  the  law  of  the  land 
rather  than  the  law  of  God  my  rule  of  conduct  in 
matters  of  property."  The  province  of  the  State  is 
simply  to  define  and  enforce  the  law  of  God,  to  guard 
the  right,  provide  for  its  transfer  and  for  its  descent 
through  the  generations. 

The  only  possible  source  of  the  individual  right  of 
property  is  the  will  of  God,  and  he  has  written  his  will 
very  clearly  in  the  nature  of  property  itself,  and  upon 
the  conscience  of  man.     This  commandment  guards  a 


104  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

God-given  right.  As  we  have  seen  a  sacredness  in 
human  life,  and  in  the  relationship  of  the  sexes,  so  here 
we  see  there  is  a  sacredness  in  the  right  of  individual 
property.  We  are  commanded  to  cherish  it.  We  are 
forbidden  to  destroy  it. 

What  is  property?  Look  again  at  the  globe,  and 
there  are  some  things  upon  it  now  which  did  not  exist 
when  it  was  prepared  for  man's  home.  There  are  ships 
upon  the  sea,  opulent  cities  upon  the  coasts  and  rivers, 
towns,  villages  and  country  homes  widely  scattered 
over  many  lands,  cultivated  farms  where  forests  waved, 
great  highways,  crossing  plains  and  piercing  mountains, 
and  waving  over  all  the  plume  of  factory  smoke.  Not 
a  single  one  of  these  things  or  a  single  element  of  them 
has  been  brought  to  the  earth  from  any  other  realm. 
All  these  things  have  come  from  the  earth  itself,  and 
they  have  all  come  forth  at  the  bidding  of  a  single 
agency,  the  labor  of  man.  Property  is  the  creature  of 
man's  toil.  It  is  the  material  of  the  earth  changed  in 
form  or  position  by  man's  labor.  The  cup  of  water 
taken  from  the  river,  the  apple  picked  or  cultivated,  the 
stone  cut  from  the  mountain,  whether  builded  into  a 
wall  or  carved  into  a  statue,  wherever  the  material  of 
the  earth  is  changed  by  human  labor  there  is  the  right 
of  property.  A  recent  writer  claims  that  he  owns  the 
pen  with  which  he  writes,  for  labor  has  brought  the 
material  of  the  earth  into  the  shape  of  the  pen,  and  he 
has  purchased  this  result  of  labor  with  the  result  of  his 
labors  in  other  directions ;  and  undoubtedly  he  is  right. 
Then  he  denies  man's  right  to  individual  property  in 
land,  says  he  has  no  more  right  to  the  land  than  he  has 
to  the  air  or  the  sky.     But  man  cannot  change  the  air 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  105 

or  sky  by  his  labor,  while  he  does  change  the  land  as 
radically  as  the  material  of  the  pen.  The  main  thing 
in  land  values  with  us  to-day  is  not  the  land,  strange  as 
it  may  seem,  but  the  labor  that  has  been  expended  upon 
the  land  and  its  surroundings,  the  nearness  and  high- 
ways to  markets,  the  generous  tillage  of  generations 
and  the  accumulation  of  improvements,  and  these  are 
inseparable  from  the  land. 

God's  will  written  upon  the  nature  of  property  and 
upon  the  conscience  of  man  is  simply  this — that  every 
man  has  the  individual  right  to  the  results  of  his  own 
labor.  Social  compacts  and  State  laws  have  but  one 
legitimate  province,  to  guard  this  divinely  given  right. 
They  should  protect  every  man  in  the  production  and 
holding  of  property,  the  result  of  his  own  labor.  In 
proportion  as  they  do  this  they  cultivate  in  man  high 
and  noble  qualities,  industry,  energy,  enterprise,  fore- 
sight, economy,  integrity,  honesty — qualities  of  great 
value  to  the  individual  and  society — while  they  check 
qualities  injurious  to  both,  as  idleness,  prodigality, 
avarice  and  dishonesty.  They  foster  comfort  and  true 
culture,  while  they  check  luxury  and  guard  against  the 
want  of  the  necessities  of  life.  That  State  laws  have 
not  always  had  this  aim,  is  a  matter  of  history.  In  some 
lands  they  have  assuredly  fostered  an  aristocracy  of 
wealth.  That  State  laws  do  not  fully  secure  these 
results,  is  a  matter  of  fact,  seen  in  our  own  land  and  in  all 
lands  to-day.  Even  if  they  were  perfect  it  would  require 
complete  and  universal  obedience  to  them  to  secure 
their  full  results ;  and  that  they  are  human  laws,  con- 
fesses their  imperfection.  Wherever  intense  selfishness 
exists,  wedded  in  some  cases  to  energy  and  enterprise, 


Io6  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

and  in  other  cases  to  idleness  and  prodigality,  there 
immense  fortunes  will  exist  by  the  side  of  abject  poverty. 
It  is  possible  also  that  State  laws  and  social  conditions 
may  give  opportunities  and  approval  to  unscrupulous 
selfish  energy,  while  they  also  encourage  selfish  idleness, 
and  so  help  build  the  palace  on  the  avenue  where 
luxury  revels,  and  the  tenement  house  on  the  back 
street  where  men,  women  and  children  are  crowded  in 
misery  and  starvation. 

But  while  social  institutions  may  be  unjust  and  in 
effect  foster  stealing,  the  law  of  God  forbids  stealing 
and  is  always  just.  This  precept  sends  forth  justice  to 
solve  the  great  problem  of  poverty.  It  gives  every  man 
a  right  to  the  results  of  his  labor.  Individual  obedience 
and  the  uplift  of  social  conditions  and  State  laws  to  this 
standard  will  secure  a  just  distribution  of  the  accumu- 
lated property  of  the  world.  There  are  loud  cries  of 
grasping  unrest  in  the  world  to-day.  "  Monopoly  and 
Trusts,"  cries  Wealth.  "Combination  and  strikes," 
shouts  Labor.  Competition  is  the  pass-word  of  political 
economy.  Amid  the  warring  sounds  our  Christian 
civilization  is  beginning  to  hear  the  quiet  voice  of  this 
commandment  commending  just  arbitration  and  hearty 
co-operation  to  solve  her  difficult  problems. 

Beneath  these  loud  cries  are  the  deep  mutterings  of 
social  unrest.  In  Europe  there  have  arisen  societies 
whose  common  object  is  social  revolution,  and  we  do 
well  to  have  more  than  a  general  far-off  interest  in  the 
matter,  since  there  is  a  large  immigration  of  these 
societies  into  our  nation,  embracing  many  of  their  ablest 
and  most  radical  leaders,  who  make  this  land  their 
refuge  when  they  dare  no  longer  remain  in  their  own. 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  loy 

There  are  many  grades  of  Socialists  and  Communists, 
and  comparatively  few  probably  deserve  the  name  of 
Anarchists,  but  certainly  this  name  may  be  given  to 
many  of  their  most  radical  leaders.  Their  base  demand 
is  that  marriage  and  private  property  shall  be  abolished. 
They  cast  off  the  authority  of  God.  *'  There  is  no 
God,"  "  There  is  no  right  nor  wrong,"  "  There  is  no 
future  life,"  "  Man  is  an  animal,  though  of  a  high  order 
— let  him  live  as  an  animal."  Shall  we  say  that  these  are 
the  hot  outbreathings  of  a  sinful  nature  ?  Yes,  but  the 
sin  is  not  all  on  their  side.  It  is  sinful  nature  ground 
down  into  a  mass  of  suffering  and  degradation  by  the 
heel  of  oppression,  until,  aroused  by  the  consciousness 
of  bitter  wrong  and  rank  injustice,  it  flames  up  in  wrath 
and  clamors  to  destroy  and  to  enjoy.  Shall  we  shut 
them  out  from  our  land  ?  What !  shut  out  the  oppressed 
because  they  are  not  angels !  Let  them  find  a  refuge, 
but  let  it  be  a  refuge  in  a  religion  and  an  education 
which  live  justly,  in  obedience  to  this  commandment. 
Their  wild  and  angry  opinions  can  never  even  touch  the 
secure  foundation  upon  which  our  Christian  society  is 
builded.  Marriage  and  the  right  of  private  property 
are  not  civil  institutions,  to  be  changed  or  abolished  by 
the  caprice  of  the  people,  but  divine  institutions  based 
upon  the  authority  of  God. 

Let  us  now  direct  our  attention  to  some  particulars  in 
which  this  commandment  guards  the  right  of  private 
property.  Of  course  outright  robbery  and  theft  are  for- 
bidden. These  vices  like  all  others  are  not  fully  formed 
at  once.  They  grow  from  small  beginnings.  A  boy 
may  begin  to  steal  at  his  mother's  cake  basket  or  sugar 
bowl  when  he  takes  what  he  knows  is  not  his,  what  his 


I08  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

mother  would  not  give  him  if  he  asked,  and  because 
his  mother  does  not  see  him.  That  course  of  action 
carried  out  a  little  further  may  bring  him  to  the  state- 
prison.  Sometimes  a  boy  at  school  stronger  than  his 
fellow  takes  from  him  something  he  wants,  and  laughs 
in  his  face  when  he  complains.  Such  a  boy  is  called  a 
bully,  and  there  is  hardly  a  more  contemptible  charac- 
ter on  the  face  of  the  earth  than  a  grown  up  bully.  He 
uses  his  strength  to  oppress  when  he  ought  to  protect 
the  weak.  He  is  a  robber,  and  whether  he  gets  there  or 
not  he  ought  to  go  to  state-prison.  Boys  and  girls, 
never  take  anything  that  does  not  belong  to  you,  not 
even  a  pin.     Be  honest. 

But  this  commandment,  like  all  the  others,  in  for- 
bidding the  greatest  offense  forbids  all  lesser  ones  of 
kindred  character,  and  the  spirit  which  prompts  to  such, 
and  it  commands  the  reverse  spirit  and  action.  A  very 
little  study  will  probably  show  that  if  we  were  to  be 
judged  simply  by  this  commandment,  leaving  all  the 
others  out  of  view,  the  very  best  of  us  would  have  to 
plead  "guilty"  before  the  throne  of  God.  There  are 
many  ways  of  breaking  the  law  which  are  so  common 
that  even  good  people  practice  them  without  suspecting 
themselves  of  transgressing.  They  have  not  thought 
carefully  of  the  matter.  I  have  heard  these  expositions 
called  "  eye-openers."  I  intend  that  they  shall  deserve 
the  name,  for  only  in  this  way  can  they  be  of  any  profit 
to  us.  Let  me  speak  plainly,  since  I  am  speaking  to 
myself  as  well  as  to  you,  and  since  we  are  trying  to- 
gether simply  to  find  out  the  important  truth,  how  the 
law  of  God  in  all  its  precepts  applies  to  our  hearts  and 
lives. 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  1 09 

Where  a  transfer  of  property  is  made  we  are  com- 
manded to  make  an  honest  bargain,  to  see  that  an 
equivalent  is  given  and  received.  Instead  of  each  think- 
ing and  planning  only  for  himself,  he  is  to  think  and 
plan  for  the  other  man  as  well.  Each  is  to  secure  the 
other  in  his  rights.  Yet  there  are  several  maxims 
familiar  in  a  Christian  community  which  indicate  a  pre- 
vailing opinion  and  practice  opposed  to  this  law.  "  It 
is  better  to  cheat  than  to  be  cheated."  "Let  the 
buyer  take  care  of  himself,"  "The  buyer  is  at  the 
mercy  of  the  seller."  The  seller  generally  has  the 
weights  and  measures  in  his  care,  in  store  and  on 
farm.  If  you  have  any  suspicion  your's  are  just  a  little 
short,  rest  not  until  they  are  known  to  be  absolutely 
correct.  Think  not  this  is  a  little  thing.  God  calls  it 
by  a  very  strong  name,  saying  that  a  false  balance  is  an 
abomination  to  him.  The  seller  also  has  the  best 
means  of  knowing  of  the  quality  of  the  article  sold.  A 
lady  buys  a  piece  of  silk  in  the  city  and  at  home  finds 
a  flaw  in  the  middle.  We  all  condemn  the  merchant  in 
New  York.  But  if  he  comes  to  us  to  buy  a  horse,  that 
is  a  different  matter.  Let  him  keep  his  eyes  open.  In 
selling  horses  as  in  selling  silks  all  flaws  should  be 
revealed. 

There  is  a  large  class  of  offenses  committed  against 
the  general  public  which  would  not  be  committed  be- 
tween individuals,  but  it  is  evident  that  a  large  number 
on  one  side  makes  no  difference  in  the  rule  of  right. 
This  applies  to  all  adulterations.  Probably  there  is  great 
adulteration  of  liquors,  there  may  be  some  adulteration 
of  sugars,  but  we  are  not  engaged  in  these  lines  and 
the  matter   though  interesting  does  not  concern  our 


no  rHE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

honesty.  But  we  are  quite  generally  engaged  in  the 
milk  business.  There  is  a  certain  kind  of  feed  used 
for  cows  which  produces  large  quantities  of  milk.  It 
is  claimed  also  that  the  quality  of  this  milk  is  good. 
Still  the  fact  remains  that  those  who  raise  milk  for 
butter-making  never  use  this  kind  of  feed,  only  those 
who  raise  milk  for  sale.  The  only  way  the  milk  busi- 
ness can  be  defended  from  the  charge  of  Sabbath 
desecration  is  that  it  affords  a  needed  article  of  diet  to 
multitudes,  especially  the  children,  in  the  great  city. 
That  this  is  so  should  lead  a  conscientious  man  to  be 
very  careful  that  this  important  article  of  diet  is  pure 
and  wholesome.  Feed  the  children  of  others  as  you 
would  feed  your  own.  A  certain  chemical  preparation 
is  sold  in  large  quanties  in  this  community  whose  sole 
use  is  to  give  butter  a  fine  yellow  appearance,  increas- 
ing its  value  for  sale.  It  is  not  the  rich  yellow  butter 
it  sells  for,  but  poor  white  butter  colored,  and  the  in- 
creased price  must  be  called  the  wages  of  fraud.  It  is 
frequently  said  and  perhaps  it  is  sometimes  true,  but  it 
can  never  be  honest,  that  the  best  apples  and  potatoes 
are  in  the  top  of  the  barrel. 

The  buyer  too  should  regard  the  rights  of  the  other 
man.  The  seller  surely  has  a  right  to  the  value  of  the 
article  and  to  a  proper  return  for  his  enterprise  in  bring- 
ing it  to  the  hand  of  the  buyer,  and  also  to  be  considered 
honest.  What  means  then  this  almost  universal  custom 
of  beating  down  the  price  ?  Is  it  to  give  the  seller  his 
just  dues,  to  get  the  article  at  its  just  price  ;  or  is  it  to 
get  it  at  its  lowest  possible  price,  taking  advantage  of 
the  weaker  will  or  ignorance  or  necessity  of  the  seller  ? 

The  labor  problem  is  one  of  the  perplexing  questions 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  ill 

of  the  day,  made  so  largely  by  the  vast  corporations  and 
combinations  engaged  in  it.  We  have  the  simple  ele- 
ments of  it  in  our  experience  in  hiring  labor  on  our 
farms,  and  the  principles  of  this  commandment  easily 
applied  to  these  would,  if  faithfully  applied  to  the 
larger  and  more  complex  problem,  fully  solve  it. 
Some  of  us  sell  our  labor.  We  should  be  very  care- 
ful to  give  what  we  sell  in  quality  and  in  quantity. 
Whether  the  buyer  is  present  or  absent  we  should 
take  care  of  his  interest  in  our  labor,  and  see  that  it  is 
fully  satisfied.  To  get  all  the  wages  we  can  and  give 
as  little  labor  as  possible  is  not  being  in  harmony  with 
this  law.  On  the  other  hand  the  buyer  of  labor  has  a 
very  clear  duty.  It  is  often  all  a  poor  man  has  to 
sell.  He  is  often  so  situated  that  he  must  have  work  or 
starve,  and  he  is  often  almost  entirely  dependent  upon 
us  for  work,  and  we  need  his  labor.  Now  we  are  to 
give  him  a  just  price  for  his  labor,  that  is  of  course  what 
it  is  worth  to  us.  We  are  not  to  take  advantage  of  his 
situation  and  hire  him  at  starvation  wages.  We  are  not 
to  withhold  his  wages  a  moment  after  they  are  due. 
We  are  to  so  deal  with  others  that  they  have  no  cause 
to  complain  of  us  to  God.  And  if  Labor  and  Capital, 
whether  on  a  small  or  large  scale,  would  each  think  of 
its  obligation  to  the  other  under  God's  law,  the  problem 
would  be  solved.  The  supply  and  demand  theory  of 
political  economy  is  not  so  wise  as  the  "  Thou  shalt  not 
steal "  of  God. 

The  commandment  covers  that  large  field  of  business 
where  property  is  not  transferred,  but  intrusted.  Some- 
times men  are  paid  for  caring  for  money  or  other 
property,  and  rules  for  its  care  are  expressed  or  implied, 


112  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

as  in  the  case  of  a  public  ofBcer  or  treasurer,  the  cashier 
of  a  bank,  the  trustee  or  executor  of  an  estate.  In  all 
such  cases  the  right  is  not  to  use,  the  duty  is  to  care 
for  and  guard.  When  such  a  one  uses  the  property  in 
his  own  business  or  in  speculation,  he  steals.  He  prob- 
ably intends  to  return  it,  nevertheless  the  act  is  stealing. 
He  takes  that  which  does  not  belong  to  him  without 
the  consent  of  the  owner  and  uses  it  for  himself.  If  he 
returns  it,  he  returns  stolen  property,  and  is  not  dis- 
covered. If  he  does  not  return  it  he  is  discovered.  That 
is  all  the  difference.  He  keeps  that  which  he  had  no 
right  to  have.  His  having  it  in  his  own  use  was  steal- 
ing. Keeping  it  is  only  continued  stealing.  Embezzle- 
ment, defalcation,  breach  of  trust,  are  fine  words  we 
have  invented  to  make  light  of  a  serious  offense.  Even 
with  these  words  it  needs  to  be  said,  that  it  is  not  the 
discovery  that  deserves  them  so  much,  as  the  thing  that 
is  discovered.  It  is  not  the  failure  to  return  that  is 
the  embezzlement.  It  is  the  taking,  in  the  first  stage  of 
it. 

The  borrower  of  anything  does  not  own  it.  He  only 
has  the  right  to  use.  He  should  be  sure  he  has  the 
power  to  keep  before  he  borrows,  should  take  the  best 
possible  care  of  it  while  he  has  it,  and  should  be  careful 
to  return  it  at  the  proper  time.  This  certainly  applies 
to  an  umbrella,  and  it  applies  also  to  money.  The 
borrower  of  money,  while  he  has  the  right  to  use  it  for 
himself,  has  no  right  to  unduly  risk  it.  He  should  take 
extra  care  of  it,  that  he  may  make  a  full  return.  It  is 
not  his.  The  lender  of  money  has  a  right  to  seek 
security  and  a  proper  interest  for  the  use  of  his  money, 
but  he  has  no  right  to  take  advantage  of  the  necessity 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS,  113 

of  the  borrower.  The  rule,  "  Think  of  the  other  man — 
do  not  steal  from  him,"  applies  here  too,  and  to  the 
lender  as  much  as  to  the  borrower.  Fair  Credit  is  the 
inspiring  spirit  of  much  of  the  business  activity  in 
Christian  lands.  She  can  only  remain  fair  as  she  stands 
radiant  in  the  light  of  this  commandment.  The  pay- 
ment of  a  debt  is  a  religious  obligation. 

There  are  cases  where  a  transfer  of  property  is  made 
but  nothing  is  returned.  This  is  a  very  clear  case,  you 
will  say  at  once.  It  is  stealing.  By  some  standard  or 
other  the  parties  maybe  in  agreement,  yet  it  is  stealing. 
Then  all  betting  is  stealing,  whether  it  be  about  a  horse 
race  or  a  presidential  election,  whether  for  a  pair  of 
gloves  or  for  a  thousand  dollars.  The  subject  and  amount 
have  no  effect  upon  the  nature  of  the  transaction.  So 
also  with  lottery  and  gambling — the  place  and  object 
do  not  change  the  nature  of  the  act.  It  is  just  as  much 
stealing  at  a  church-fair  for  some  trifling  thing  as  it  is 
in  a  low  bar-room  for  drinks,  or  in  a  gambling  palace 
for  large  amounts  of  money.  True,  all  are  agreed  who 
bet  or  gamble ;  each  would  win  if  he  could,  and  feels  in 
honor  bound  to  give  when  the  other  wins.  But  that 
only  puts  this  color  on  it  %  One  steals  from  those  who 
would  steal  from  him,  if  they  could,  that  is,  one  is  not 
only  a  thief,  but  is  associating  with  thieves. 

There  are  certain  transactions  in  the  Stock  and 
Produce  Exchanges  of  our  great  cities  which  it  would 
be  hard  to  find  more  proper  names  for  than  betting  and 
gambling.  The  advance  in  material  prosperity  so 
marvelous  in  our  civilization  is  largely  due  to  those 
energetic  and  courageous  men  who  risk  their  fortunes 
in  great  enterprises.  These  exchanges  give  a  wide  field 
8 


1 14  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

of  legitimate  business  to  such  men  in  whom  often  splendid 
honesty  is  combined  with  great  business  ability.  Large 
fortunes  are  frequently  and  quickly  and  honorably 
made  by  giving  a  just  equivalent  in  management  and 
enterprise. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  that  is  a  very  significant  word 
heard  sometimes  in  exchanges,  "  a  corner."  One  man 
or  set  of  men  quietly  buys  nearly  all  the  stock  of  a 
certain  railroad  that  is  in  the  market.  Intimations  are 
now  thrown  out  and  offers  to  sell  made  in  such  a  way 
that  the  stock  is  depressed,  and  other  dealers  and  their 
clients,  thinking  it  is  going  still  lower,  sell  stock  they  do 
not  possess,  promising  to  deliver  it  at  a  certain  time, 
believing  that  they  will  be  able  to  buy  before  that  time 
at  a  still  lower  figure,  and  so  make  money.  Those  who 
already  hold  nearly  all  the  stock  purchase  these  prom- 
ises to  deliver  stock,  well  knowing  that  such  stock  can- 
not be  obtained  except  from  themselves.  They  have 
the  sellers  now  in  a  corner  and  begin  to  squeeze  them 
to  deliver  the  promised  stock.  This  they  can  only  do 
by  buying  it  of  the  men  who  have  them  in  the  corner,  at 
their  own  prices,  and  this  they  must  do,  or  fail  in  busi- 
ness. So  they  pay  double  or  thribble  the  price  for  which 
they  promised  to  sell,  and  the  holder  of  the  stock  both 
keeps  it  and  pockets  the  money.  In  the  recent  wheat 
"  corner  "  in  Chicago  in  the  last  two  days  of  September 
the  price  of  wheat  rose  from  less  than  a  dollar  to  over 
two  dollars  a  bushel,  because  one  man  held  nearly  all 
the  wheat  in  the  city  and  also  many  promises  to  deliver 
wheat  on  those  days,  which  the  promisors  could  only 
fulfill  by  buying  of  him  on  his  own  terms.  Thus  he 
made  a  large  fortune  in  a  few  days,  while  others  lost  a 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  115 

like  amount,  and  he  made  it  without  giving  an  equiva- 
lent. 

Suppose  now  the  "  corner  "  was  one  of  force  instead 
of  deceit,  and  one  man  had  a  dozen  men  in  a  corner  of 
a  room  and  at  the  point  of  a  revolver  threatened  their 
lives  unless  they  bought  their  way  out  at  his  price. 
That  would  be  robbery,  and  it  would  make  no  differ- 
ence in  principle  if  all  those  men  had  just  been  engaged 
in  a  desperate  struggle  each  to  get  all  the  others  in  the 
corner.  One  man  has  succeeded,  that  is  all,  but  it  is 
success  in  robbery.  Yet  our  sympathies  do  not  go  out 
very  warmly  to  the  robbed,  since  they  were  trying  to 
rob,  though  their  families  perhaps  are  brought  down 
from  luxury  to  need  in  an  instant.  But  our  sympathies 
must  go  out  to  the  poor  who  must  feel  sooner  or  later 
the  effects  of  the  growth  of  immense  fortunes  by  specu- 
lative robbery.  The  following  week  in  Chicago  the 
bakers  put  up  the  price  of  bread  one  cent  a  loaf.  That 
means  suffering  to  many  poor.  This  was  done,  not 
because  wheat  was  scarce  in  the  country — there  is 
plenty ;  not  because  there  are  no  facilities  to  bring  it 
to  the  centers  of  population — there  are  the  best ;  but 
because  a  fictitious  value  is  given  to  it  by  "  cornering  " 
it.  Now,  it  is  quite  evident  that  not  only  are  the  men 
engaged  in  such  robbery  at  fault,  but  the  laws  are  at 
fault  that  provide  for  and  permit  it,  and  the  social  con- 
dition is  at  fault  that  applauds  and  welcomes  such  a 
robber  to  its  highest  ranks.  Large  "  corners  "  occur 
but  seldom,  but  much  of  the  buying  and  selling  stocks 
and  produce  is  not  dealing  in  the  articles  themselves,  in 
either  present  or  future  values,  but  simply  amounts  to 
betting  on  the  rise   or   fall  of  prices.     Some  system 


Il6  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

ought  to  be  devised  to  prevent  this,  and  at  the  same 
time  provide  for  the  legitimate  trade  on  a  large  scale 
and  the  fostering  of  large  and  daring  enterprises. 
Until  this  is  devised  and  carried  out  some  of  the  best 
places  in  the  land  on  which  to  write  this  commandment 
of  God,  "  Thou  shalt  not  steal,"  are  the  doors  of  the 
Stock  and  Produce  Exchanges. 

This  commandment  applies  of  course  to  corporations 
and  communities  and  to  individual  relations  to  these, 
in  membership  or  in  dealings.  It  is  quite  obvious  that 
when  individuals  combine  in  companies,  they  neither 
lose  their  rights  nor  lay  aside  their  duties.  Corpora- 
tions have  no  right  to  take  advantage  of  the  necessity 
of  men,  no  right  to  crush  the  poor,  no  right  to  make 
slaves  of  their  employees.  Each  member,  though  he 
tries  to  shield  himself  in  the  crowd,  is  seen  by  the 
Great  Judge.  Churches  should  be  examples  of  honor- 
able dealing.  On  the  other  hand,  the  prevalent  opinion 
that  one  may  take  advantage  of  a  corporation  without 
sin,  is  wrong.  A  jury  sometimes  gives  a  heavy  verdict 
against  a  corporation,  not  so  much  from  the  justice  of 
the  case  as  because  it  is  a  corporation.  They  in  effect 
steal  from  the  corporation,  for,  though  they  do  not  put 
the  money  in  their  own  pockets,  giving  stolen  property 
away  does  not  lessen  guilt.  There  are  some  who  do 
not  seem  to  think  it  wrong  to  steal  from  the  nation  or 
the  community.  They  try  to  evade  their  taxes,  or  seek 
not  a  just  assessment  but  the  lowest  possible  assessment 
of  their  property.  So  men  working  for  a  corporation 
or  community  often  fail  to  give  the  full  time  and  labor 
they  would  give  if  their  employer  was  looking  on. 
Many  are  conscientious,  but  some  are  not.     It  is  hardly 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  II7 

worth  while  to  go  to  Albany  or  Washington  for 
instances.  Working  out  the  road  tax  is  a  sufficient 
example. 

Our  consciences  should  be  sensitive  on  this  whole 
subject.  Honesty  to  one  another  is  a  duty  we  owe  to 
God. 

There  is  one  feature  of  this  commandment  which 
does  not  belong  to  the  others  so  fully  and  clearly,  that 
is  the  possibility  and  duty  of  restitution.  If  any  are  con- 
scious that  you  have  wronged  others  in  this  matter  there 
is  but  one  thing  for  you  to  do,  if  it  is  in  your  power. 
Make  full  restitution.  No  matter  how  much  it  may  be 
to  your  shame,  no  matter  how  much  it  may  cost  you. 
There  can  be  no  true  repentance  while  you  remain  in 
possession  of  the  fruits  of  wrong  doing.  That  is  not 
leaving  sin,  but  continuing  in  it.  You  cannot  hope  to 
have  forgiveness  in  Christ  or  any  interest  in  him  until 
full  restitution  is  made. 

The  heart  of  honesty  to  our  fellowmen  is  honesty  to 
God.  It  is  because  we  have  withheld  from  Him  his 
due,  the  consecration  of  our  hearts  and  lives ;  because 
we  have  been  dishonest  to  Him,  that  we  are  prone  to  be 
dishonest  with  each  other.  God  in  Christ  is  providing 
for  and  calling  for  the  restitution  of  our  hearts  and  lives 
to  him. 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT. 

"  Thou  shalt  not  bea^  false  witness  against  thy  neighbor." — Ex. 
20:  16. 

We  at  once  think  of  a  court  of  justice  and  of  bear- 
ing witness  there.  The  great  Law-giver  and  Judge 
comes  by  this  commandment  into  these  courts,  His  rep- 
resentatives on  earth,  and  directs  that  all  their  rules 
and  practices  shall  be  administered  in  the  interest  of 
truth,  and  that  judges  and  lawyers  shall  devote  all  their 
energies  to  this  end.  Lawyers,  in  managing  the  causes 
of  their  clients  and  in  the  examination  and  cross  exam- 
ination of  witnesses,  are  here  commanded  to  seek  only 
the  truth  and  to  seek  the  whole  truth,  and  judges  on 
the  bench  are  to  see  that  the  truth  is  discovered  and 
prevails. 

To  bear  false  witness  before  such  courts,  to  take  away 
the  property,  reputation,  liberty  or  life  of  our  neighbor, 
is  the  highest  offense  against  this  commandment.  As 
the  less  is  included  in  the  greater,  all  lesser  offenses  of 
kindred  nature  and  all  feelings  and  dispositions  natu- 
rally leading  to  them  are  included  in  the  prohibition, 
and  the  reverse  feelings  and  acts  are  commanded. 

Among  the  dispositions  forbidden,  a  very  important 
and  controlling  one  is  want  of  loyalty  to  truth.  The 
commandment  therefore  checks  all  propensities  to  lying, 
and  commands  truthfulness  of  speech  to  and  about  our 
neighbor.  It  is  very  difficult  to  over-estimate  the  value 
of  truth  or  the  importance  of  being  truthful  in  char- 
u8 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  119 

acter  and  speech.  There  is  a  reality  to  the  things  and 
the  laws  which  surround  us  and  are  within  us  which  we 
call  truth.  When  our  thoughts  exactly  correspond 
with  this  reality  we  have  apprehended  truth.  When 
we  conform  ourselves  to  this  we  are  true.  The  knowl- 
edge of  truth  is  of  great  value  to  us  if  it  leads  us  to  be 
true,  to  be  in  harmony  with  nature  and  to  obey  her 
laws.  If  our  thought  does  not  exactly  correspond  with 
this  reality  we  are  in  error,  and  error  is  a  mischief  to 
us.  We  disobey  the  laws,  we  abuse  the  things  about 
us,  we  are  like  blind  men  striking  against  obstacles, 
falling  into  pits.  The  nature  of  things  remains 
unchanged,  the  laws  are  immutable,  but  we  are  false  to 
them.  Truth  is  not  merely  to  be  known,  it  is  to  be 
transmuted  into  life.  Man  is  to  be  so  hearty  in  his 
allegiance  to  the  truth  he  knows  that  he  lives  it  and 
speaks  it.  The  man  who  knows  the  truth  and  disobeys 
it  is  false  in  his  nature.  He  may  not  deceive  his  neigh- 
bors as  to  himself.  Every  one  may  know  he  is  a  false 
man,  but  his  whole  life  is  bearing  false  witness  as  to 
the  truth,  and  as  to  it  may  deceive  many.  The  greater 
part  of  the  truth  we  possess  we  have  derived  from 
others.  A  man  deprived  of  all  communication  with 
his  fellows  would  gain  but  little  knowledge  by  his  own 
unaided  observation.  There  is  an  exchange  of  truth. 
Men  who  search  in  one  realm  give  the  truth  they  find 
to  their  fellows  who  are  searching  in  other  realms,  and 
receive  truth  from  them  in  return,  and  each  generation 
leaves  its  rich  legacy  of  inherited  and  acquired  truth 
to  the  following,  and  thus  the  race  advances  in  the 
knowledge  of  truth. 

Wide  is  the  realm  of  truth,  in  earth  and  sky,  in  matter 


120  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

and  spirit,  in  time  and  eternity.  Man  should  not  shut 
himself  or  his  fellow  out  from  any  portion  of  it.  Upon 
the  truth  in  nature  and  her  laws  our  existence  depends. 
We  reap  what  we  sow.  Bread  is  food.  Effect  follows 
cause.  We  know  upon  what  to  depend.  Truth  is  just 
as  essential  to  man's  intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual 
well-being.  We  are  to  search  for  it,  we  are  to  yield  our- 
selves to  it  in  loyal  obedience,  and  we  are  to  faithfully 
communicate  it.  If  any  one  bears  false  witness  to  any 
part  of  the  wide  realm  of  truth  it  is  always  against  his 
neighbor,  depriving  him  wrongfully  of  that  which  is  of 
the  greatest  importance  to  his  well-being. 

Great  is  the  difference  between  truth  and  falsehood. 
Infinity  and  eternity  cannot  measure  it.  Of  God  it  is 
said ;  "  He  is  light.  He  is  the  truth."  Of  the  Devil  it 
is  said :  "  There  is  no  truth  in  him.  He  is  a  liar  and 
the  father  of  it."  Hell  is  the  home  of  universal  false- 
hood and  distrust.  Each  one  there  is  alone  in  the  midst 
of  others,  deceiving  and  being  deceived,  distrusting  and 
being  distrusted.  Heaven  is  the  home  of  universal 
truth  and  confidence.  Each  one  there  is  a  member  of  a 
blessed  society,  trusting  and  being  trusted,  a  society  of 
clear  eyes  and  bright  faces,  of  true  tongues  and  loving 
hearts.  Oh,  radiant  Truth !  we  yield  thee  our  alle- 
giance. Lead  thou  us  on  to  ever  higher  and  more 
shining  heights,  even  up  to  heaven  and  God !  The 
more  worthy  we  become  of  confidence  and  the  more 
confidence  we  have  in  each  other  the  more  will  the 
society  on  earth  resemble  that  of  heaven.  The  whole 
influence  of  falsehood  is  to  disorganize  society.  It  brings 
suspicion  and  distrust  into  the  community,  even  into  the 
family,  and,  alas !  makes  one  deserving  only  of  distrust. 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  12 1 

False  witness  is  always  against  our  neighbor,  against 
society. 

The  more  we  follow  truth  the  nearer  we  advance  to 
God.  The  truths  in  nature  are  His  thoughts,  written 
on  the  heavens  in  light,  on  the  earth  in  beauty,  on  our 
souls  in  virtue.  As  we  express  truth  we  help  others 
advance  to  him,  by  small  steps  or  large,  according  to 
the  importance  of  the  truths  we  speak.  But  false  wit- 
ness is  ahvays  against  our  neighbor,  since  it  leads  him 
to  wander  away  from  God. 

Other  commandments  have  taught  us  the  sacredness 
of  human  life,  of  the  relation  between  the  sexes,  of 
property.  This  teaches  us  the  sacredness  of  truth. 
The  world  itself  is  a  great  court.  God  is  the  ever-pres- 
ent Judge.  Whenever  we  speak  we  speak  as  witnesses 
about  some  person  or  thing.  The  third  commandment 
directs  that  speech,  the  crowning  glory  of  man,  shall  be 
used  in  the  praise  of  God.  This  commandment  further 
directs  us  to  use  this  noble  gift  of  intelligent  speech  in 
conveying  truth  to  our  fellow  man.  We  are  to  speak 
truth  to  our  neighbor  in  all  matters  of  common  concern ; 
and  we  are  to  speak  truth  of  our  neighbor  whenever 
we  speak  of  him. 

The  commandment  requires  truth  in  'ordinary  conver- 
sation. Loyalty  to  truth  will  put  us  on"  our  guard 
against  certain  tendencies  in  describing  things  or  nar- 
rating events  which  would  leave  a  false  impression. 
Conjecture  and  partial  information  will  be  spoken  of  as 
such,  not  made  to  pass  for  complete  knowledge.  We 
will  strive  to  know  fully  that  we  may  speak  clearly. 
Vividness,  sprightliness  and  color  will  be  einploj^ed  to 
interest  in  and  set  forth  the  truth,  not  to  gain  applause. 


122  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

and  all  exaggeration  will  be  avoided.  Our  aim  will  not 
be  selfish,  to  be  considered  as  Laving  had  a  wonderful 
experience,  or  as  having  fine  descriptive  powers,  or  as 
being  well  informed,  but  will  be  simply  to  convey  truth 
to  our  neighbor.  Some  subjects  are  pleasant,  others  are 
unpleasant.  Christian  courtesy  and  gentleness  will 
always  have  due  consideration  for  the  tastes  and  feel- 
ings of  others.  This  commandment  commends  the 
choice  of  pleasing  and  wholesome  subjects  of  conversa- 
tion, and  also  the  truthful  expression  of  personal  approval 
and  commendation,  but  it  frowns  upon  flattery,  insin- 
cerity and  deceit. 

In  all  those  cases  in  which  we  speak  to  our  neighbor 
with  intent  to  lead  him  to  a  desired  line  of  conduct,  our 
self-interest  may  be  aroused  against  our  loyalty  to  truth. 
It  is  in  such  cases  that  much  of  the  casuistry  upon  this 
subject  has  arisen.  The  mind  of  man  has  been  active 
in  devising  ways  of  avoiding  this  rule  of  ti'uth-telling 
when  it  stood  in  the  way  of  his  selfish  interests,  and  has 
often  succeeded  in  deceiving  his  own  conscience.  The 
subtleties  of  casuistry,  instead  of  clearing,  are  apt  to 
cloud  our  views  of  right  and  wrong.  When  a  man 
allows  himself  to  consider  whether  it  is  ever  right  for 
him  to  do  wrong,  he  has  already  become  so  confused  in 
mind  and  conscience  that  he  is  quite  apt  to  decide  that 
his  self-interest  is  more  important  than  God's  eternal 
laws,  or  at  least  that  he  may  exercise  his  ingenuity  in 
evading  them.  Mental  reservation,  double  meaning, 
significant  silence,  the  end  justifies  the  means,  and  all 
kindred  evasions,  may  quiet  a  confused  conscience,  but 
will  never  do  to  plead  before  a  truth-loving  God. 

But,  says  the  business  man,  must  I  reveal  the  defects 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  123 

in  the  property  I  am  trying  to  sell  ?  Must  I  reveal  the 
fact  I  have  skillfully  acquired,  that  prices  in  the  market 
will  be  much  lower  to-morrow  ?  Certainly  you  must,  or 
you  will  both  lie  and  steal  in  one  act.  But,  says  the 
Jesuit,  is  not  a  lie  justified  if  thereby  I  greatly  advance 
the  cause  of  the  Church  ?  Ask  the  business  man  what 
he  thinks  about  it.  His  conscience  will  probably  have 
clear  and  strong  views  where  his  interests  are  not  so 
strong.  The  plea  of  the  detective  is  that  he  may  lie  to 
the  criminal  since  he  has  no  right  to  the  truth.  But  the 
criminal's  right  is  not  the  only  right  involved.  That 
advance  of  justice  which  causes  justice  herself  to  blush, 
and  at  the  same  time  undermines  the  truthful  character 
of  the  people,  is  an  advance  in  the  wrong  direction. 
Political  managers,  speakers  and  papers  are  not  exempt 
from  this  commandment,  though  many  of  them  seem  to 
act  as  if  they  were.  The  conscience  of  some  politicians 
must  be  a  very  queer  kind  of  thing,  or  else  they  have 
never  heard  of  this  commandment.  The  fair  discussion 
of  great  issues,  and  a  deliberate  and  careful  decision  upon 
them,  afford  a  training  of  national  intellect  and  charac- 
ter of  great  value.  But  in  proportion  as  pretense  and 
sophistry,  false  declarations  and  false  promises,  deceit 
and  fraud  enter  political  campaigns,  they  destroy  the 
truthfulness  of  the  national  character.  In  the  whole 
realm  of  influencing  the  conduct  of  others  we  will  do 
better  to  go  directly  to  the  commandment  for  our  rule 
of  life  than  to  the  teachings  of  the  Jesuits.  Truth  is 
sacred.  A  lie  is  abominable  in  God's  sight.  Better 
far  be  defeated  by  adherence  to  the  right  than  triumph 
by  the  practice  of  wrong.  There  is  a  success  that  is  not 
worth  what  it  costs. 


124  ^-^^   ^^-^  COMMANDMENTS. 

In  the  training  of  children  both  at  home  and  in  school 
we  should  constantly  recognize  that  truthfulness  is 
absolutely  essential  to  their  intellectual  and  moral  well- 
being.  It  is  an  honor  to  have  it  said  of  man  or  cbild, 
"  He  always  speaks  the  truth.  You  can  depend  upon 
him.  There  is  no  deceit  in  him."  Truthfulness  of 
character  enables  a  man  to  pass  with  uplifted  liead 
among  his  fellows,  frankly  looking- them  in  the  face.  A 
false  character  has  either  a  downcast,  sneaking  look,  or 
a  brazen  boldness  which  repels.  A  true  man  walks 
uprightly  before  God,  having  His  approval.  A  false 
man  skulks  away  from  God,  conscious  of  His  condem- 
nation. 

We  are  to  speak  truth  not  only  to  our  neighbor  but 
about  him.  This  commandment  guards  a  man's  repu- 
tation. 

"  Good  name  in  man  or  woman 
Is  the  immediate  jewel  of  their  souls." 

Reputation  is  one  of  our  most  valuable  possessions,  but 
it  is  unlike  all  the  others  in  a  striking  respect.  Man 
has  his  other  precious  possessions  largely  in  his  own 
keeping,  his  life,  his  wife,  his  property,  his  character, 
but  his  reputation  is  entirely  in  the  keeping  of  his 
neighbors.  A  man's  character  no  one  can  touch  but 
himself.  A  man's  reputation  any  one  can  touch  except 
himself.  To  wound  a  reputation  is  to  betray  a  sacred 
trust  God  has  placed  in  our  hands.  We  are  our 
brother's  keeper  in  all  respects  to  some  extent.  We  are 
the  keeper  of  his  reputation  to  the  full  extent.  We 
should  guard  it  as  we  have  a  right  to  desire  him  to  gunrd 
ours. 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  12$ 

This  commandment  gives  each  man  a  right  to  have 
his  reputation  the  exact  expression  of  his  character.  It 
is  evident  it  does  not  guard  hypocrisy.  It  upholds 
truth,  not  falsehood.  It  is  for  the  interest  of  all  to 
have  hypocrisy  unmasked,  even  of  the  hypocrite  him- 
self, and  it  may  become  our  solemn  duty  to  unmask  it. 
In  detecting  a  hypocrite  we  should  be  very  sure  of  the 
detection.  We  should  not  allow  the  confidence  a  life 
should  win  to  be  undermined  by  a  single  action,  or  even 
by  several  separate  actions,  but  be  sure  that  the  whole 
course  of  life  is  wilfully  in  the  opposite  direction  from 
the  appearance.  Having  made  the  detection  we  should 
reveal  it  only  from  a  sense  of  duty,  for  the  interest  of 
our  neighbors  when  concealing  it  would  be  false  to 
them,  never  from  revenge  or  any  evil  feeling  to  the 
hypocrite,  but  Irying  to  win  him  to  a  true  life.  Christ 
unmasked  the  Pharisees,  but  it  was  to  awaken  them  to 
a  sense  of  their  sin  and  especially  to  defend  the  multi- 
tude against  their  false  influence. 

The  invention  of  evil  reports  about  our  neighbor  is 
of  course  the  highest  offense  against  his  reputation,  but 
it  is  of  infrequent  occurrence.  Such  a  slanderer  is  a 
foul  compound  of  falsehood  and  malice,  and  is  odious  in 
God's  sight  and  contemptible  in  man's.  Some  men's 
minds  are  quickened  in  controversy  to  remember  all  the 
evil  things  they  have  ever  heard  about  their  neighbors, 
even  years  ago,  and  without  any  restraint  or  regard  for 
truth  their  angry  tongues  pour  forth  the  bitter  tale. 
But  such  offenses  also  are  rare— the  culmination  of  anger 
and  malice  with  reckless  indifference  to  truth.  It  is  for 
us  to  guard  against  the  small  beginnings  of  propensities 
whose  culmination  is  so  hideous. 


126  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

It  is  certainly  not  wrong  to  speak  about  our  neigh- 
bors. Ordinary  conversation  may  and  should  be  about 
persons  as  well  as  things.  Men  and  women,  their  lives, 
their  affairs,  their  characters,  are  the  most  interesting  and 
often  the  most  profitable  subjects  of  conversation.  But 
we  should  be  so  true  to  them  and  to  ourselves  that  we 
only  speak  of  them  in  their  absence  as  we  would  in 
their  presence,  and  as  we  have  a  right  to  desire  them  to 
speak  of  us.  It  may  often  be  our  duty  to  warn  against 
the  evil  propensities  of  others,  but  the  duty  should  be 
clear  and  the  warning  truthful  and  kindly,  and  should 
be  accompanied  with  a  full  acknowledgment  of  good 
qualities  when  possible.  We  should  guard  against 
secret  prejudice  against  our  neighbor,  or  envy  of  him, 
and  should  cultivate  such  love  for  him  that  we  will 
rejoice  in  his  good  qualities  and  in  his  good  name,  that 
we  will  sorrow  over  the  faults  in  him  we  cannot  help 
seeing,  and  throw  over  them  the  garment  of  Christian 
charity,  rather  than  exulting  to  proclaim  them  to  the 
world.  We  should  have  the  "  charity  that  thinketh  no 
evil,  rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity  but  rejoicethin  the  truth." 
If  we  cannot  speak  truthfully  in  favor  of  our  neighbor, 
and  no  need  of  warning  others  exists,  it  is  generally  our 
duty  not  to  speak  at  all. 

Some  try  to  ease  their  conscience  in  repeating  a  bad 
story  by  saying  they  "do  not  believe  it."  This  is 
abominable.  Refute  it,  then,  when  it  comes  to  your 
ears,  but  do  not  let  your  tongue  spread  it.  To  say  that 
"  they  are  sorry  for  it,"  is  very  little  better.  We  can 
not  justify  our  speaking  of  another's  fall  by  our  allegiance 
to  the  particular  virtue  from  which  he  fell.  Our  hearty 
love  for  honesty  and  purity  will  lead  us  to  be  pure  and 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  12/ 

honest,  not  to  talk  about  it,  certainly  not  to  speak  of  the 
impurity  and  dishonesty  of  others.  We  will  cherish  the 
virtue  in  the  holy  of  holies  of  our  hearts  and  not  gloat 
over  the  one  who  has  fallen — telling  it  with  smooth 
tongue  as  good  news — but  look  upon  him  with  tear- 
dimmed  eyes,  and  speak  of  him  only  when  needed  to 
warn  the  purity  and  honesty  of  others. 

This  commandment  should  govern  not  only  our 
tongues  but  our  hearts  and  ears  as  well.  It  forbids  an 
appetite  for  gossip,  a  desire  to  hear  detraction  and  a 
tendency  to  form  unfavorable  opinions  of  others.  By 
holding  our  peace  when  we  have  it  in  our  power  to  defend, 
by  failing  to  mention  the  good  when  the  evil  is  spoken 
of,  by  encouraging  the  telling  of  evil  by  eager  listening, 
we  assault  the  reputation  of  our  neighbor  by  the  assent 
of  our  silence. 

There  is  a  modern  statue  of  Truth,  instinct  with  the 
fire  of  genius,  which  strongly  incites  an  opposite  spirit 
and  action.  A  stately  woman  in  pure  white  marble, 
with  beautiful  and  firni  face,  wears  on  her  head  a  helmet 
and  carries  a  sword  in  her  hand.  At  her  feet  lies  a 
mask  touched  by  the  point  of  her  sword.  She  has  just 
smitten  it  from  the  face  of  Slander,  and  now  she 
proudly  draws  her  robe  away  from  its  polluting  touch. 

It  is  wonderful  but  true  that  some  men  seem  to  place 
their  whole  religion  in  detraction.  They  strive  to  dis- 
cover the  evil  in  professing  Christians  and  are  blind  to 
the  good.  They  think  and  say  the  worst  possible  of  the 
evil  they  find.  They  judge  the  whole  class  by  the  few 
they  have  so  unjustly  treated,  and  they  place  great 
value  upon  their  own  comparative  goodness.  The  re- 
ligious hope  that  is  based  upon  the  failure  of  others, 


128  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

and  the  holiness  that  is  keen  eyed  to  see  only  it,  can 
neither  of  them  be  regarded  as  of  the  very  finest  quality, 
nor  can  a  practice  in  direct  violation  of  this  command- 
ment be  regarded  as  commending  one  to  God. 

In  Spencer's  Fairy  Queen  the  Red  Cross  hero,  Holi- 
ness, defends  fair  Una,  Truth,  against  all  the  assaults 
of  the  evil  knights,  Error  and  Falsehood.  So  the  Chris- 
tian knight  should  be  devoted  in  his  allegiance  to  Truth 
and  should  chivalrously  defend  it  against  all  assailants 
however  mighty,  and  only  in  this  way  can  he  ever  hope 
to  merit  the  name  of  Holiness.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
is  himself  the  Truth.  In  His  teaching  and  life  and 
death  he  fulfills  the  law  and  the  promises  of  God,  and 
fully  reveals  the  Father  to  us.  Yielding  ourselves  to 
Him  in  loyal  devotion,  He  will  lead  us  in  the  true  and 
living  way  to  heaven  and  God,  and  as  we  pass  along 
our  lives  and  lips  will  speak  the  truth  of  greatest  value 
to  our  neighbor. 


A: 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT. 

"  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  house,  thou  shalt  not  covet 
thy  neighbor's  wife,  nor  his  man-servant,  nor  his  maid-servant,  nor 
his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  anything  that  is  thy  neighbor's." — Ex.  20: 17. 

The  first  commandment  directs  the  spirit  in  its  rela- 
tion to  God,  without  mentioning  a  single  outward  act. 
In  the  following  commands  the  spirit  is  directed  in  its 
outward  acts,  of  worship  of  God,  reverence  for  His  name, 
observance  of  His  Sabbath,  and  honoring  His  represent- 
atives. With  the  fifth  command  duty  to  man  beginso 
The  spirit  is  still  the  subject  of  the  law  and  is  directed 
in  its  outward  manifestations  of  honoring  superiors, 
giving  due  regard  to  the  sacredness  of  human  life,  of. 
.the  right  of  property,  of  the  relationship  between  man 
and  woman,  of  truth  to  and  about  our  neighbor,  until  in 
this  last  commandment  the  spirit  emerges  from  all  out- 
ward actions  and,  as  in  the  first  commandment,  is  itself 
purely  and  simply  the  subject  of  the  law,  only  now 
specially  in  its  duty  to  its  neighbor.  "  Thou  shalt  not 
covet !  "  The  positive  command  under  the  prohibitory 
form  of  the  first  precept,  as  our  Savior  teaches,  is,  "Love 
God  supremely."  This  love  is  required  by  all  the  com- 
mandments of  outward  duty  to  God  and  man  until  in 
this  last  precept,  as  Christ  again  teaches,  its  positive 
form  is  like  unto  the  first,  "  Love  thy  neighbor  as  thy- 
self." Thus  the  whole  law  is  seen  to  be  spiritual.  If 
any  have  thought  that  I  have  made  too  much  of  some  of 
these  commandments,  if  they  will  reflect  carefully  upon 
9  129 


130  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

the  spiritual  nature  of  the  law  they  will  soon  share  with 
me  the  conviction  that  I  have  not  made  and  cannot 
make  one  half  enough  of  a  single  one  of  them.  There 
is  a  depth  and  comprehensiveness  about  the  law 
that  cannot  be  fully  measured.  There  is  no  virtue 
within  the  range  of  human  duty  but  is  comprehended 
here.  There  is  no  vice  within  the  reach  of  human 
action  but  is  directly  forbidden  here. 

This  commandment,  "  Thou  shalt  not  covet,"  is  fol- 
lowed by  several  specifications,  closing  \n  ith  an  all-em 
bracing  one.  This  striking  feature  indicates  a  tendency 
in  our  nature  needing  restraint  which  is  so  strong  that 
it  would  evade  a  general  prohibition,  and  so  the  Law- 
giver specifies  objects  in  such  a  way  that  it  is  absolutely 
impossible  for  the  most  ingenious  man  to  discover  any- 
thing belonging  to  his  neighbor  that  he  is  permitted  to 
covet. 

While  the  emphasis  is  upon  the  coveting,  not  upon 
the  objects,  the  nature  of  the  objects  specified  further 
indicates  that  the  domestic  mode  of  life  of  man  is  pleas- 
ing to  God  and  is  specially  guarded  by  him.  The  house 
as  the  seat  of  the  home-life,  the  wife — the  soul  of  that 
life — and  all  the  surroundings  of  that  life  are  specially 
mentioned.  What  protects  our  homes  ?  The  bolts  and 
bars  as  we  lock  them  up  at  night,  the  precautions  we  take 
against  intrusion  ?  Certainly  these  have  their  proper 
effect.  More  than  this,  the  State  lifts  its  shield  over 
every  home,  places  the  invisible  watchman  of  its  law 
before  each  door.  In  this  the  State  is  simply  endeavor- 
ing to  enforce  the  outward  observance  of  God's  law. 
Back  of  all  these  agencies  the  real  protection  of  our 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  131 

homes  is  the  voice  of  supreme  authority  speaking  to  the 
conscience  of  every  man — "Thou  shaltnot  covet." 

In  the  fact  that  the  property  of  our  neighbor  is 
guarded  from  our  coveting,  we  are  further  instructed 
that  those  qualities  of  character  which  are  needed  to 
the  acquisition  of  property  are  not  forbidden  but  are 
commended  in  this  commandment.  How  can  one  have 
a  home  at  all  or  any  thing  rightfully  unless  it  be  by  the 
exercise  of  industry,  economy,  good  management,  thrift 
and  perseverance,  of  carefulness  and  energy  ?  The  re- 
sults of  these  economic  virtues  in  their  proper  exercise 
are  guarded  in  the  commandment;  but  we  are  to  be 
watchful  against  making  the  virtues  vicious  in  their 
action  by  degrading  them  into  the  slaves  of  covetous- 
ness.  A  fair  exchange  of  property  is  also  needed  to  a 
proper  enjoyment  of  it,  and  is  therefore  commended, 
not  prohibited,  in  this  precept.  When  our  neighbor 
desires  us  to  have  what  he  has  a  right  to  convey  upon 
one  giving  him  a  fair  equivalent  for  it,  our  desire  to 
have  what  he  desires  to  give  does  not  injure  but  benefits 
him.  But  if  our  desire  to  have  what  he  is  willing  to 
give  is  such  that  it  will  take  advantage  of  his  ignor- 
ance or  necessity,  or  make  such  use  of  our  superior 
skill  that  we  fail  to  give  a  just  equivalent,  such  desire 
is  clearly  forbidden.  Many  a  good  bargain,  as  we  call 
it,  and  many  a  fine  fortune,  have  been  made  by  the  ex- 
ercise of  such  desires,  by  failure  to  give  just  equiva- 
lents, and  what  we  call  good  and  fine  are  pronounced 
by  this  precept  covetousness,  abhored  by  God.  Our 
desire  to  have  must  respect  our  neighbor's  interests  as 
much  as  our  own,  must  recognize  his  equal  right  and 


132  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

the  equal  right  of  all  men  to  have  and  to  hold  their 
own.     All  other  desire  is  forbidden. 

If  we  consider  the  commandment  as  simply  forbid- 
ding the  coveting  of  a  particular  thing  belonging  to  a 
particular  neighbor,  each  one  of  us  will  probably  plead 
"  not  guilty."  We  consider  it  mean  to  entice  a  man's 
servant  from  him  by  the  offer  of  better  wages  or  easier 
work,  and  a  man's  claim  upon  his  servant  is  less  now-a- 
days  than  of  old,  and  we  do  not  cast  covetous  eyes  upon 
any  of  his  possessions.  But  even  here  we  may  possibly 
deceive  ourselves.  This  is  an  insidious  vice  and  it  has 
many  degrees  and  related  emotions.  We  sometimes 
hear  the  expression,  "I  wish  I  had  that,"  spoken  of 
some  particular  thing  belonging  to  our  neighbor,  often 
corrected  at  once  by,  "  I  mean  I  wish  I  had  something 
just  like  it."  The  first  expression  shows  often  the 
nature  of  the  desire,  and  gives  us  reason  to  fear  that 
the  incipient  vice  forbidden  may  be  lurking  in  our 
hearts,  while  the  second  is  the  rebuke  of  conscience 
which  such  desire  deserves. 

Besides,  coveting  is  closely  related  to  envy,  a  regret 
that  others  have  what  we  do  not;  and  akin  to  this  is 
secret  satisfaction  at  the  misfortunes  of  others.  Per- 
haps there  may  be  more  of  these  feelings  in  our  hearts 
than  we  are  willing  to  acknowledge.  It  sometimes 
happens  that  when  we  are  in  trouble  we  find  ourselves 
taking  a  kind  of  comfort  from  the  thought  that  others 
are  in  such  trouble  too,  and  perhaps  worse  off  than  we 
are,  when  this  reflection  should  rather  increase  our  dis- 
comfort. Besides,  pride  is  generally  a  satisfaction  that 
we  are  better  than  our  neighbors,  or  have  something 
they  have  not ;  and  anger  is  often  awakened  by  our 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  1 33 

neighbor's  rights  standing  in  the  way  opposing  our 
desires,  and  discontentment  with  God's  dealings  is  fre- 
quently a  matter  of  comparison,  a  feeling  against  God 
because  He  made  our  neighbor's  lot  better  than  ours. 
All  these,  and  many  others,  are  vices  closely  related 
to  covetousness — the  tie  seems  to  be  that  of  parent- 
age, and  if  the  children  are  in  our  hearts  we  may  infer 
that  the  hideous  mother  is  not  far  off. 

Turning  now  to  the  positive  feature  of  this  com- 
mandment, we  are  to  delight  in  our  neighbor's  good,  to 
rejoice  in  his  prosperity,  and  we  are  to  strive  to  pro- 
mote it.  In  advancing  our  own  interests  we  are  not  to 
neglect  his,  but  are  to  seek  them  as  we  seek  our  own. 
We  are  to  love  our  neighbor  as  ourselves.  It  is  the 
direct  opposite  of  seeking  the  whole  world  for  ourselves 
and  letting  our  neighbor  take  care  of  himself  as  best 
he  can,  forcing  him  to  spend  a  large  amount  of  his 
energy  in  guarding  against  our  encroachments. 

The  commandment  is  generally  regarded  as  inculca- 
ting a  spirit  of  contentment  with  our  lot  in  God's  provi- 
dence. We  are  to  remember  that  not  all  contentment 
is  commended  to  us.  There  is  a  contentment  which  is 
the  most  miserable  selfishness,  a  satisfaction  with  our 
good  fortune  wedded  with  careless  indifference  to  the 
lot  of  others.  There  is  a  contentment  which  is  un- 
manly, arising  from  laziness.  Alas  I  also  a  content- 
ment that  is  akin  to  despair,  a  listless  spirit  crushed  by 
adversity.  "  Godliness  with  contentment  is  great  gain." 
This  commandment  commends  this  kind  of  content- 
ment, that  which  arises  from  godliness,  from  obeying 
His  commandments,  loving  God  supremely  and  our 
neighbor  as  ourselves.     The  servants  of  Mammon  are 


134  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS, 

ever  filled  with  a  restless  discontent,  ever  striving  to 
grasp  each  for  himself  the  greatest  possible  amount  of 
earthly  goods.  The  servants  of  God  have  all  their 
powers  in  highest  exercise  in  honoring  Him  and  in  pro- 
moting the  general  welfare,  and  are  filled  with  cheerful 
contentment  in  the  powers  God  has  given  them,  in  the 
field  of  their  exercise,  the  lot  in  life  He  has  assigned 
them,  and  in  the  result  of  their  labors,  the  care  the 
Father  takes  of  them.  This  kind  of  contentment  the 
commandment  enjoins  upon  us. 

But  you  may  say,  "  Is  not  the  spirit  of  discontent, 
the  restless  seeking  to  acquire,  the  moving  power  of 
our  high  civilization,  of  the  material  advancement  of 
the  nation  and  the  world?  To  make  money  moves 
the  rushing  train,  flashes  its  commands  over  the  electric 
wire,  drives  the  machinery  of  the  factor}^,  fills  the  store- 
houses of  the  busy  city,  and  spreads  the  sails  of  ships 
on  every  sea.  Would  not  the  world  settle  down  into 
stagnation,  would  not  man's  fine  powers  rust  in  idleness, 
if  it  were  not  for  selfish  ambition?  "  There  may  be  lurk- 
ing in  our  minds  the  thought  that  the  spirit  of  love  is 
very  fine  in  theory  but  is  impracticable,  that  our  plan 
of  life  is  better  than  God's  plan,  at  any  rate  that  striv- 
ing to  acquire  for  one's  self  has  produced  the  present 
material  prosperity  in  our  nation  and  in  the  world. 

Human  activity  may  be  aroused  by  wrong  motives 
and  conducted  by  wrong  rules ;  the  activity  itself,  of 
brain  and  hand,  will  produce  much  good,  but  so  aroused 
and  conducted  will  likewise  produce  much  evil.  Look 
again  at  the  world's  great  prosperity.  There  are  dark 
places  in  it  as  well  as  bright.  Here  are  palaces  in  the 
fair  and  noble  city,  filled  with  luxury  and  happiness. 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  135 

Alas !  here  also  are  tenement  houses  filled  with  squalor 
and  misery.  There  is  the  great  factory  turning  out 
beautiful  goods  in  rich  profusion,  and,  alas  !  also  turn- 
ing out  stunted  manhood,  men,  women  and  children, 
who  have  slaved  themselves  to  death  through  long 
hours  on  small  pay.  Here  is  a  great  railroad  corpora- 
tion stretching  its  lines  in  all  directions  and  bringing 
inestimable  blessings  wherever  it  goesc  Alas  !  also,  it 
is  gorging  itself  with  the  hard  earnings  of  those  who 
are  dependent  upon  it  to  carry  their  goods  to  market 
and  with  the  ill  requited  service  of  those  who  endanger 
their  lives  in  its  employ  in  order  that  it  may  pay  large 
dividends  upon  watered  stock.  There  is  a  tendency  in 
the  world's  activity  to  place  immense  wealth  in  the 
hands  of  a  few  to  the  detriment  of  the  many,  a  ten- 
dency upon  which  we  may  well  look  with  apprehension 
for  the  welfare  of  our  free  institutions.  The  civiliza- 
tion of  the  age  brings  material  prosperity  to  the  race, 
great  blessings  to  all  classes  of  society,  even  to  the  very 
poor.  Far  better  is  it  than  the  stagnation  of  barbar- 
ism. But  is  it  the  highest  conceivable  civilization  ?  Is 
it  God's  ideal  of  man's  welfare  on  earth  ?  Are  we 
dwelling  in  the  millennium  ?  Is  there  no  possible  ad- 
vance, no  good  to  aspire  to,  no  evil  to  destroy  ? 

Man's  great  powers  may  be  aroused  to  a  fuller 
activity  than  any  yet  reached.  Material  prosperity  may 
be  gained  in  richer  amounts  than  any  yet  dreamed  of, 
and  better  still,  may  be  made  the  hand-maid  of  spiritual 
welfare ;  and  evils  now  raging  may  be  checked  and 
destroyed  by  bringing  a  new  motive  to  bear  on  man's 
activities,  love  of  God  and  man,  by  guiding  them  by  a 
new  rule,  the  law  of  God.     Wiiich  is  nobler — to  have  a 


136  THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

great  factory  governed  by  the  principle,  "  Make  all  the 
money  I  can,"  or  by  the  reverse  principle,  "  The  wel- 
fare of  my  employees  and  the  good  of  my  customers  "  ? 
Which  is  nobler — the  Statesman  whose  motto  is,  ''  The 
nation  must  honor  and  serve  my  great  abilities,"  or  one 
whose  rule  is  to  devote  all  his  energies  to  the  welfare 
of  the  nation  ?  Which  is  nobler — Napoleon  or  Washing- 
ton? There  is  much  already  in  our  high  civilization  of 
enthusiastic  love  for  humanity,  and  of  supreme  love  for 
God,  and  it  is  the  very  best  part  of  it.  And  a  far 
higher  and  richer  civilization  will  be  brought  about  when 
the  spirit  of  love  shall  hold  universal  sway.  The  more 
our  lives  are  taken  from  the  selfish  grasping  principle 
and  become  ruled  by  the  spirit  of  love,  the  nobler  they 
will  be  and  the  more  useful  in  hastening  on  the  higher 
civilization. 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  the  commandment  not 
merely  forbids  the  coveting  of  a  particular  thing  from  a 
particular  neighbor,  but  that  general  coveting  of  material 
things  which  ignores  our  neighbor's  interests,  and  which 
leads  one  to  be  absorbed  in  grasping  little  or  much  for 
himself.  No  wonder  God  pronounces  such  a  covetous 
man  an  idolater  and  declares  that  he  cannot  enter 
heaven.  His  heart  is  empty  of  God,  is  empty  of  his 
brother  man,  and  is  filled  with  self.  As  well  try  to 
satisfy  a  fire  with  dry  wood  as  a  covetous  man  with 
gold.  The  more  you  pile  on  the  fiercer  will  burn  the 
flaming  passion.  We  look  with  condescending  amuse- 
ment upon  our  children  intently  engaged  with  their 
toys,  real  to  them  they  are  so  young  and  ignorant,  and 
our  amusement  changes  to  reproof  when  they  begin  to 
quarrel  over  tljcuj  ;u)d  fight  for  them.     How  must  a 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS.  137 

higher  order  of  beings  look  upon  us  intensely  interested 
in  the  things  of  time  and  sense,  so  foolish  are  we  and 
ignorant  with  our  toys,  even  struggling  and  fighting 
for  them,  while  as  spiritual  beings  we  are  capable  of 
serving  God  and  loving  one  another  !  There  is  a  fable 
of  a  covetous  man  who  found  his  way  one  moonlight 
night  into  a  fairy's  palace.  There  was  a  rich  profusion 
of  rare  beauty  on  every  side,  and  many  bars  of  solid 
gold  were  scattered  freely  about.  The  beauty  he  did 
not  see,  so  intent  was  he  in  gathering  up  the  bars  of 
gold,  and  he  took  away  a  heavy  load,  all  he  could  carry. 
In  the  morning  he  found  the  golden  bars  were  only 
worthless  sticks,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  the  scorn- 
ful laughter  of  the  invisible  fairies.  When  we  awake 
upon  the  realities  of  eternity  we  will  find  much  we 
value  highly  now  as  golden  bars  worthless  as  useless 
sticks,  and  the  angels  will  be  too  sorrowful  to  laugh  at 
us. 

This  commandment,  as  the  first  and  all  the  others,  is 
addressed  to  the  race  of  man  by  being  addressed  to  each 
member  of  the  race.  It  singles  each  one  of  us  out  from 
the  multitude  and  speaks  to  us  personally,  '^  Thou  shalt 
not  covet."  When  we  examine  our  hearts  alone  with 
God,  does  not  conscience  compel  each  one  to  say,  "  I 
think  more  of  myself  than  I  do  of  my  neighbor"?  Or 
even  force  us  to  say,  with  bowed  head,  "  I  think  more 
of  myself  than  I  do  of  my  God  "  ? 

This  commandment  seeks  to  control  the  nature  back 
of  the  thought  and  desire — that  which  thinks  and 
desires.  It  seeks  to  control  the  involuntary  movement 
of  this  nature,  when  an  object  presents  itself  and  desire 
is  awakened  without  the  consent  of  the  will.     Though 


138  THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

these  desires  never  result  in  action,  though  they  are  not 
only  held  in  check  but  are  driven  back,  they  are  sin. 
They  are  not  forbidden  lest  they  may  result  in  action, 
but  because  they  are  in  themselves  sinful  in  God's 
sight.  They  do  not  injure  our  neighbor,  but  they 
show  our  own  corrupt  nature.  The  Apostle  Paul  knew 
that  cherished  desire  was  sin,  but  thought  he  was  free 
from  sin  when  he  held  desire  in  check.  But  this  com- 
mandment taught  him  that  lust  itself  was  sin,  that 
involuntary  coveting  could  spring  only  from  a  corrupt 
nature,  sinful  in  God's  sight. 

Meditation  upon  the  spiritual  nature  of  the  command- 
ments and  a  faithful  application  of  them  to  our  hearts 
and  lives  will  convince  us  that  we  can  never  be  justified 
under  the  law.  No  man  can  believe  that  God,  the  just 
Judge,  will  ever  say  of  him,  "The  law  has  nothing 
against  him.  He  is  entitled  to  all  the  rewards  of 
obedience."  No  man's  conscience  can  say  this  of  him- 
self now,  but  must  say  of  his  record,  "  I  am  guilty,"  and 
of  his  nature,  "  I  am  sinful."  We  recognize  that  the 
law  is  right,  but  are  compelled  to  confess  that  we  have 
not  kept  it,  that  we  do  not  keep  it,  and  that  we  are 
so  corrupt  that  we  are  unable  to  keep  it  perfectly. 

This  must  be  said  of  every  man  who  has  ever  lived,  of 
whom  we  have  any  knowledge,  with  a  single  exception. 
Judged  by  this  law  we  cannot  find  a  single  defect  in  the 
life  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  kept  it  in  its  letter  and  in  its 
spirit,  in  its  First  Table  and  in  its  Second ;  kept  it  per- 
fectly from  the  beginning  of  his  life  until  its  close.  The 
perfectness  of  this  law,  among  all  other  laws,  shows  that 
it  is  divine.  The  perfectness  of  this  life,  among  all 
other  lives,  shows  that  He  is  divine.     This  is  also  the 


THE   TEN  COMMANDMENTS,  139 

claim  of  the  perfect  man,  Jesus  Christ,  that  he  is  the 
Son  of  God.  He  claims  there  is  no  sin  in  him,  the 
Bible  states  there  is  no  sin  in  him,  we  can  find  no  trace 
of  sin  in  him ;  yet  this  sinless  one  dies  upon  the  cross, 
an  accursed  death  under  the  law.  This  glorious  Son  of 
God,  the  perfect  man,  who  has  kept  the  law  and  has 
borne  its  curse,  promises  that  whosoever  believes  in  Him 
shall  be  saved  from  sin.  All  the  promises  of  God, 
promises  of  grace  and  glory,  are  in  the  Son  of  God, 
Jesus  Christ,  accomplished  and  proclaimed. 

Now  the  Christian  differs  from  ail  other  men  in  three 
respects.  All  are  alike  guilty  under  the  law,  but  the 
Christian  acknowledges  his  guilt,  and  seeks  forgiveness 
from  God  through  Jesus  Christ.  All  are  alike  sinful, 
but  the  Christian  acknowledges  his  sinfulness  and  seeks 
the  complete  renewal  of  his  nature  from  God,  through 
Jesus  Christ.  All  are  alike  unable  to  keep  the  law  of 
God  perfectly,  but  the  Christian  acknowledges  his  weak- 
ness and  relies  upon  God  through  Jesus  Christ  for  needed 
daily  grace.  So  relying,  his  earnest  purpose  and  con- 
stant endeavor  are  to  keep  all  the  commandments  of 
God.  The  law  is  the  rule  of  his  life.  Thus  he  serves 
the  Savior  whom  he  loves.  Thus  he  constantly  advances 
toward  perfection.  His  present  attainment  is  the 
measure  of  his  Christ-likeness.  It  should  constantly 
become  more  clear  and  full,  until  he  shall  see  Him  as 
He  is  and  be  like  Him. 


THE   LORD'S   PRAYER, 


THE   LORD^S   PRAYER 


FKOM    LAW   TO    PKAYEE. 

It  is  God's  law  for  the  human  race — the  authoritative 
statement  of  the  fundamental  principles  in  the  constitu- 
tion of  man  and  human  society — the  law  of  man's  being. 

It  is  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  prayer  in  which  the 
Divine  wisdom,  descending  upon  us  in  perfect  love,  has 
condensed  and  enshrined  for  us  all  that  can  possibly 
ascend  from  human  hearts  to  the  Divine  heart. 

As  the  law,  so  the  prayer  is  for  humanity,  the  single 
prayer  the  human  race,  if  enlightened  by  the  Divine  law 
and  renewed  in  nature  according  to  it,  would  utter, 
being  sure  it  would  be  fulfilled. 

It  is  the  prayer  for  the  lonely  closet,  where  the  single 
soul  renewed  in  the  nature  of  his  Savior  meets  God  face 
to  face.  It  is  the  prayer  for  the  Church,  the  body  of 
Christ,  beyond  which  nothing  can  be  expressed  even  in 
her  most  sublime  moods,  her  loftiest  and  holiest  assem- 
blies. But  it  is  also  the  prayer  not  peculiar  to  any  man 
or  set  of  men,  or  tribe  or  race,  but  for  humanity.  Christ 
taught  it  to  the  multitudes  when  He  was  proclaiming  the 
principles  of  His  kingdom,  just  after  He  had  brought  out 
the  spiritual  nature  of  the  law  of  God ;  and  He  taught 
the  same  prayer  to  His  disciples  when  they  asked  Him  to 
teach  them  a  prayer  peculiar  to  them,  as  John  had  taught 

143 


144  ^^^  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

His  disciples — tlie  universal  prayer  is  the  peculiar  prayer. 
It  is  the  prayer,  however,  not  of  universal  human  wants 
but  of  human  needs.  Sinful  human  wants;  what  a 
prayer  that  would  be,  and  how  its  fuliilling  would  curse 
mankind !  But  human  needs  as  revealed  by  the  law  of 
our  being  and  as  voiced  for  us  by  the  longing,  loving 
heart  of  our  Savior — this  is  the  Lord's  Prayer;  its  ful- 
filling reestablishes  the  law  and  makes  it  a  delight — fills 
the  heart  and  life  of  mankind  with  blessing.  Wherever 
there  is  a  human  heart  the  wide  world  over,  there  the 
law  describes  its  nature  and  the  prayer  voices  forth  its 
need;  whenever  such  a  soul  recognizes  its  nature  and 
becomes  conscious  of  its  need,  there  the  need  becomes  a 
hopeful,  prayerful  desire  in  the  spirit  and  name  of 
Christ,  and  prays  as  the  Lord  has  taught  him.  If  under 
the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit  we  learn  to  make  it  our 
prayer,  it  will  bear  us  up  as  on  angel  wings  into  the 
presence  of  the  Eternal  God.  Yery  important  is  it  that 
we  should  know  its  meaning  and  have  its  spirit,  lest  we 
should  use  the  words  alone,  which  is  mere  formality — 
lest  we  should  use  the  prayer  and  contradict  it  in  our 
lives,  which  is  hypocrisy;  both  are  displeasing  to  God 
and  destructive  to  us.  The  longing  of  the  Savior's  heart 
for  mankind  must  become  the  longing  of  our  hearts  if 
we  would  be  sincere  in  our  prayers.  Yery  brief  is  the 
prayer;  the  youngest  memory  will  not  find  it  a  burden. 
Yery  distinct  is  each  petition,  as  if  issuing  forth  from  a 
reverent,  thouglitful  silence,  the  preparation  of  the  heart 
in  the  presence  of  God.  Yery  full  is  the  prayer.  It  is 
comprehensive ;  in  its  six  petitions  the  whole  woi'ld  wide 
round  of  human  need  is  gathered  up  and  clearly  pre- 
sented to  the  heavenly  Father. 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


145 


Yery  suggestive  is  the  order  of  the  petitions.  The 
succession  is  that  of  the  commandments.  As  the  law 
lias  two  tables,  so  the  prayer  has  two  clearly  marked 
divisions.  The  law  shows  us  the  first  place  in  our  duty 
belongs  to  God.  The  prayer  gives  the  first  place  in  our 
desire  to  God.  Looking  now  more  intently,  we  can  see 
that  the  order  in  which  the  fundamental  principles  of 
human  nature  are  stated  in  the  commandments  is  the 
order  in  which  tliese  awakened  into  desires  express  them- 
selves in  the  petitions. 

The  address  of  the  prayer,  "  Our  Father  which  art  in 
Heaven,"  covers  the  first  commandment,  the  oneness  of 
God,  and  the  second  as  well — His  spirituality.  The 
Hallowed  E"ame  of  the  prayer  is  the  Holy  IS^ame  of  the 
third  commandment.  The  "Thy  Kingdom  come" 
covers  the  fourth  commandment,  in  which  we  are  taught 
to  regard  ourselves  as  of  heavenly  spirit  and  relationship 
while  we  labor  upon  the  earth.  Some  one  has  said  "  the 
Sabbath  is  the  banner  of  the  Kingdom."  "Thy  will  be 
done "  covers  the  source  of  authority  as  set  forth  in  the 
fifth  commandment.  Then  in  the  second  division  of  the 
prayer  the  petitions  follow  the  order  of  the  command- 
ments. The  life  and  property  guarded  by  the  sixth, 
seventh,  and  eighth  commandments  voice  themselves  in 
the  "daily  bread,"  the  property  needed  to  sustain  life. 
The  daily  forgiveness  of  ourselves  by  God  and  of  our 
neighbors  by  us,  speaks  of  the  truth  in  relation  to  God's 
judgment  and  human  judgment.  The  covetousness  for- 
bidden in  the  tenth  commandment  finds  its  antidote  in 
the  last  petition. 

Reverently  and  thoughtfully  we  have  studied  the  law; 
in  like  spirit  we  now  turn  to  the  prayer. 


"CUE  FATHER   WHICH  ART   IN   HEAYEK" 

Matt,  vi :  9. 

This  is  the  simple  though  grand  beginning  of  a  grand 
though  simple  prayer.  The  prayer  is  so  simple  that  the 
child  at  the  mother's  knee  may  lisp  the  words  and 
understand  much  of  their  meaning.  It  is  so  grand  that 
the  noblest  man  of  the  whole  race,  of  strongest  intellect 
and  purest  heart,  his  whole  nature  breathed  upon  by  the 
spirit  of  God,  cannot  fathom  its  meaning.  However 
much  we  may  enter  upon  the  spirit  of  this  simple  address, 
it  is  so  grand  that  there  will  still  be  room  for  the  "  groan- 
ings  of  the  Spirit  which  cannot  be  uttered." 

In  it  we  find  that  Jesus  Christ  reveals  God  as  our 
Father,  and  awakens  in  human  hearts  the  child  spirit. 
Fatherhood,  as  denoting  origin  and  government,  was 
vaguely  attributed  to  the  Supreme  God  by  some  of  the 
heathen  nations  of  antiquity,  as  seen  in  the  names  of 
their  gods — as  Jupiter,  the  Jove-father  of  gods  and  men ; 
but  the  idea  of  affectionate  fatherhood  seems  never  to 
have  entered  their  thought.  So  the  thought  of  God  as  a 
loving  Father  is  entirely  absent  from  the  heathen  relig- 
ions prevailing  in  the  world  to-day.  It  is  confessed  that 
the  Jews  had  clearer  ideas  of  God  than  other  nations. 
There  was  but  one  God  to  them;  He  was  a  Person, 
supreme  over  all  His  works,  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  their 
God  Jehovah ;  but  the  thought  of  Him  as  their  loving 
Father  was  not  familiar  to  them.  There  are  many  pray- 
ers recorded  in  the  Old  Testament  in  which  holy  men 
call  upon  God  by  the  names  they  best  knew  Him  by,  but 

146 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  147 

there  is  not  one  in  which  they  address  Him  as  their 
Father.  Among  the  many  references  to  the  Supreme 
Being  crowding  the  various  books  of  the  Old  Testament 
the  name  Father  is  applied  to  God  only  seven  times — ^five 
times  as  father  of  the  Hebrew  people,  and  twice  as 
father  of  individuals.  One  of  these  is  a  prediction  that 
men  will  one  day  pray  to  God,  calling  Him  Father.  That 
which  was  dim  in  the  Old  Testament  becomes  bright  in 
the  E'ew.  Jesus  Christ  calls  God  by  the  name  of  Father 
quite  generally,  and  this  not  only  as  the  Son  of  God,  but 
as  the  Son  of  Man — the  ideal  man — and  He  not  only 
gives  His  disciples  permission,  he  bids  them  "  when  ye 
pray,  say  Our  Father."  He  takes  us  into  the  presence  of 
the  Great  Jehovah,  and  says  to  us:  "He  who  is  my 
Father  is  your  Father  too.  When  you  come  with  me 
into  His  presence,  say  '  Our  Father.' "  This  was  a  strik- 
ing innovation,  and  must  have  startled  the  most  pious 
souls — those  most  familiar  with  the  Scriptures. 

But  it  is  more  than  a  teaching  Christ  gives ;  it  is  a  reve- 
lation He  makes.  He  is  the  manifestation  of  the  Father. 
Christ's  self-sacrifice,  in  His  atoning  life  and  death,  is  the 
Father's  declaration  of  Himself  by  the  Son.  Jehovah, 
the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  the  Law-giver,  the  Judge,  the 
King,  is  the  Father,  and  the  infinite  love  of  His  fatherly 
heart  makes  provision  in  greatest  self-sacrifice  for  the 
salvation  of  men  from  the  guilt  and  power  of  sin.  He 
who  came  forth  from  God  has  revealed  the  Divine  heart 
to  us,  and,  lo  !  it  is  a  father's  heart;  the  darkened,  blood- 
stained cross  shines  with  the  glory  of  infinite  love  over 
the  sin-cursed  world. 

This  is  the  grandest,  tenderest,  most  inspiring  thought 
of  God  that  has  ever  come  to  man — the  Father  revealed 


1.48  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

in  Christ.  We  are  so  familiar  with  it  that  we  can  hardly 
realize  the  wondrous  change  it  has  wrought  in  the  relig- 
ious thought  and  life  of  the  race.  The  heathen  world 
stands  before  the  thought  of  God  as  we  sometimes  stand 
before  a  summer  thunder-storm — black,  flashing  with 
lightning,  terrible — and  with  fear  and  awe  they  bow  in 
the  dust.  With  us  the  glorious  sun  has  broken  through 
and  driven  away  the  cloud,  the  heart  of  nature  rejoices, 
the  grass  is  jeweled  with  rain-drops,  the  flowers  are  bright 
with  beautiful  colors,  there  is  a  burst  of  melody  from 
singing  birds,  and  with  trust  and  love  we  look  up  into 
the  face  of  our  Father  revealed  in  Jesus  Christ.  God  is 
not  the  cloud,  but  the  sun. 

In  order  to  have  the  child  spirit  awakened  in  our 
hearts  we  must  believe  this  revelation  of  God,  we  must 
receive  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Before  we  can  truthfully 
call  God  our  Father  we  must  receive  the  Gospel  of  His 
Son  into  our  minds  and  hearts.  He  is  still  a  father,  but 
we  are  wayward,  ignorant,  and  rebellious  children,  until 
we  can  with  penitence  and  faith  in  the  Savior  call  Him 
our  Father.  This  is  clear  the  moment  it  is  stated,  and 
the  Bible  emphasizes  it.  Jesus  says,  "  I  am  the  way,  the 
truth,  and  the  life ;  no  man  cometli  unto  the  Father  but 
by  Me."  John  says,  "As  many  as  received  Him,  to 
them  gave  He  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God."  Paul 
says,  "  If  any  man  has  not  the  spirit  of  Christ  he  is  none 
of  His ;  as  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they 
are  the  sons  of  God — they  have  received  the  spirit  of 
adoption,  whereby  they  cry,  Abba  Father."  When  we 
turn  to  Him  in  trust  and  love  we  can  truthfully  call  Him 
our  Father. 

Along  all  our  coasts  to-day  the  tides  of  the  ocean  arc 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  149 

rising,  lilling  bay  and  inlet  and  river,  because  tlie  revolv- 
ing earth  is  turning  tlieni  to  the  heavenly  bodies,  whose 
unseen  but  powerful  influence  is  silently  drawing  them. 
So  when  w^e  turn  to  our  Father,  all  tlie  channels  of  our 
nature  are  filled  with  the  inflowing  tide  of  childlike 
affection  and  confidence,  aspiration  and  devotion,  drawn 
by  His  unseen,  silent,  but  all-prevailing  power. 

These  two  companion  thoughts  may  well  be  impressed 
upon  us :  Jesus  Christ  reveals  God  as  our  Father.  We, 
receiving  Jesus  Christ,  can  say  "  Our  Father." 

Our  Lord  seems  to  have  anticipated  many  of  our 
modern  perplexities  and  the  objections  to  prayer,  and 
gives  them  a  suflicient  answer  when  He  bids  us  call  God 
our  Father.  Among  the  earliest  lessons  a  mother  teaches 
the  dear  child  God  has  given  her  is  to  lisp  His  name  in 
prayer.  This  teaching  of  childhood  lasts  often  through 
life,  but  as  we  advance  in  age  and  thought  it  is  no  longer 
simply  an  instinct  of  childhood,  fostered  by  a  mother's 
teaching ;  it  becomes  a  confirmed  faith.  To  reach  this 
it  often  passes  through  a  stage  of  questioning  and  doubt ; 
no  longer  can  one  rely  upon  the  instinct,  though  a  true 
one,  but  must  see  that  it  is  in  harmony  with  reason.  In 
our  day  many  facts  and  theories  assail  the  instinct  of 
prayer,  so  if  one  remains  prayerful  it  must  be  on  account 
of  reasons  superior  to  these  assailing  ones.  As  many  of 
these  facts  and  theories  were  but  little  known,  if  at  all,  to 
patriarchs  and  even  apostles,  one  readily  sees  that  faith 
in  prayer  may  be  a  more  intelligent  and  better  estab- 
lished virtue  in  a  modern  saint  than  in  Abraham  or  even 
in  Paul,  since  it  meets  and  overcomes  difiiculties  they 
never  even  dreamed  of. 

One  of  these  difficulties  is  that  aroused  by  science. 


150  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

Science  declares  the  laws  and  forces  of  nature  are  fixed, 
that  there  is  nothing  corresponding  to  the  acts  and  chang- 
ing moods  of  a  person,  that  even  the  clouds  and  storms 
and  lightning  flash  are  governed  by  law. 

There  are  three  ways  of  looking  at  the  course  of 
nature,  the  regular  sequence  of  cause  and  effect,  with 
regard  to  prayer.  The  first  is  that  of  the  godless  scien- 
tists, and  there  are  few  such ;  they  regard  nature  some- 
what as  an  iron  barrier.  God  may  be  on  the  other  side 
of  it,  they  cannot  tell,  but  if  He  is  He  cannot  change  it. 
Prayers  directed  to  Him  strike  against  the  barrier  and 
fall — they  cannot  reach  Him ;  and  if  they  did.  He  could 
not  work  any  change.  How  this  barrier  came  to  exist, 
and  how  the  prayerful  being  this  side  of  it,  they  cannot 
tell 

The  second  view  is  that  of  superstitious  faith  in  prayer 
which  regards  the  fixed  form  of  nature  as  a  background 
and  counts  as  answer  to  prayer  only  the  extraordinary 
and  unusual,  something  in  the  nature  of  a  miracle.  The 
miracle  has  evidential  value  as  out  of  the  usual  course, 
so  must  be  rare,  and  also  there  must  be  some  message 
and  messenger  that  need  this  evidence.  So  the  prophets 
and  leaders  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  so  Christ  and  His 
apostles  worked  miracles.  The  need  no  longer  exists, 
and  such  answers  to  prayer  are  not  to  be  expected. 
Besides,  answers  to  prayer  are  not  rare. 

The  third  view  is  that  of  reasonable  faith  in  prayer. 
"We  see  and  recognize  tiie  regular  course  of  nature,  and 
do  not  expect  any  answer  to  prayer  outside  or  beyond  it. 
Still  we  do  not  regard  God  as  shut  out  by  that  course  of 
nature  but  as  revealed  by  it,  showing  us  His  character 
therein  and  teaching  us  upon  what  to  depend  and  how  to 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  151 

obey  Him.  We  are  not  to  expect  to  be  exempt  from 
obedience  to  law  by  prayer  or  from  the  consequences  of 
disobedience ;  else  prayer  would  counteract  one  of  the 
chief  lessons  taught  both  in  natm-e  and  revelation,  that 
of  obedience  to  law. 

But  God  is  not  less  than  man,  but  greater.  Our  knowl- 
edge of  the  laws  and  forces  of  nature  does  not  shut  us 
behind  an  ii-on  barrier,  but  gives  us  some  little  control 
over  these  flexible  forces.  ^N^ow  if  our  three-year-old 
child  prays  to  us  the  fixed  course  of  nature  is  not  a  bar- 
rier against  our  answering  the  child's  prayer,  but  gives 
us  all  the  power  we  have  of  answering  it.  We  know  a 
desired  effect  will  be  produced  by  a  certain  cause ;  the 
cause  is  within  our  reach,  we  start  it,  the  effect  surely 
follows,  and  the  prayer  is  answered. 

But  our  knowledge  is  small ;  we  know  only  a  few 
things  and  those  imperfectly.  We  can  lay  hold  of  only 
a  few  forces  and  those  isolated  ones,  and  we  can  lay 
hold  of  them  only  from  without,  as  we  take  the  hand  of 
our  brother  and  lift  it  up.  God  knows  all  things,  all 
laws  and  forces,  and  knows  them  perfectly.  God  can  lay 
hold  not  only  upon  a  few  forces,  but  upon  the  whole  vast 
and  complicated  system  at  once,  or  upon  any  portion  of 
it.  And  God  has  closer  relationship  wdth  nature  than  we 
have.  He  works  not  from  without  but  from  within,  as 
we  lift  not  our  brother's  hand  but  our  own  hand.  God's 
power  of  answering  prayer,  therefore,  must  be  greater 
than  ours — not  contrary  to  nature  but  through  it.  The 
most  learned  scientists  hold  to  the  Christian  belief  in 
prayer,  that  God  is  master  of  nature,  not  mastered  by  it. 
Only  a  few  are  conceited  enough  to  believe  that  they 
know  more   and  have   more   power  than   God,   for  it 


152  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER, 

amounts  to  that.  This  little  man  who  has  lived  some 
hfty  years,  perhaps,  and  has  studied  one  or  two  depart- 
ments of  nature,  and  has  gained  a  little  control  over 
them,  stands  up  in  the  great  universe  of  God  and  tells  us 
tliat  the  Eternal,  Almighty,  All-wise,  and  All-loving 
Creator  and  Upholder  of  it  has  after  all  less  power  over 
it  than  he  has — rather  a  ridiculous  position  for  him  to 
assume. 

The  only  question  now  is,  not  can  God  answer  prayer, 
but  will  He.  This  Christ  answers  in  revealing  Him  as 
our  Father.  The  father  nature  always  answers  the 
prayer  of  his  child  if  it  is  in  his  power,  and  for  the 
child's  good.  Here  also  we  see  the  deep  meaning  of  the 
instinct  of  prayer ;  it  is  the  child  spirit  casting  itself  upon 
the  wisdom  and  love  of  a  father. 

E^ature  is  a  fine  organization,  and  among  men  tlie  liner 
the  organization  the  more  completely  is  it  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  governing  mind.  Close  observers  at  a  certain 
place  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  recently  saw  a 
strange  sight.  The  fastest  express  train,  the  Chicago  Lim- 
ited, took  the  freight  track,  and  then  a  special  passed  it — 
both  running  at  great  speed — a  swift  engine  with  two 
cars,  and  in  one  of  these  a  young  girl  and  her  attendants 
the  only  passengers  ;  then  all  went  as  usual  on  the  finely 
organized  road.  It  was  in  answer  to  prayer.  Up  in  the 
Allegheny  Mountains,  in  a  summer  cottage,  a  woman  lay 
sick,  and  supposed  to  be  dying.  A  man  bended  over  her 
bed  to  catch  her  faint  whisper.  She  said,  "  I  want  to  see 
Mary  before  I  die."  He  stepped  to  the  telegraph  instru- 
ment and  flashed  the  command  to  the  proper  officer — 
"  Bring  Mary  at  utmost  speed  to  see  her  dying  mother," 
and  the  flying  special  brought  Mary  from  New  York 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  153 

Citj  to  the  cottage  bed,  for  the  sick  woman  had  whis- 
pered her  prayer  in  her  husband's  ear,  tlie  father  of  her 
daughter  Mary,  and  he  was  the  President  of  tlie  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad.  What  great  power  he  possessed  and 
how  quickly  he  used  it;  but  what  little  power  compared 
with  God's  power  in  His  finely  organized  universe.  And 
shall  not  the  far  more  loving  Father  use  it  for  the  good 
of  His  child? 

Your  child  is  taken  sick,  and  you  send  for  the  wise 
physician ;  you  virtually  pray  to  him  to  use  his  superior 
knowledge  of  nature  for  your  child's  good — and  you  do 
well.  Is  it  not  also  well  to  pray  to  God  for  your  child, 
that  He  will  bless  the  physician  in  his  work,  and  beyond 
this  in  ways  we  may  not  know  but  in  ways  well  known 
to  God,  to  restore  the  child  to  health.  But  still  the  child 
may  die.  His  superior  wisdom  and  love  may  see  that  it 
is  the  greatest  good  for  the  child  and  for  you.  And  in 
all  our  prayers  we  must  say  to  God,  as  we  teach  our  chil- 
dren to  say  to  us,  "If  you  please,"  in  submission  to  His 
infinitely  wise  and  good  will.  The  third  petition  of  this 
wonderful  prayer  throws  some  light  upon  this  and  a 
great  many  more  of  this  life's  mysteries.  We  know  so 
little  of  the  mystery  of  life  and  its  issues  that  we  can 
hardly  tell  what  is  a  calamity  or  a  blessing  while  we  are 
passing  through  it. 

Another  great  thought  demands  attention  in  this  sim- 
ple address  of  prayer.  How  many  do  we  take  with  us 
when  we  say  "  Our  Father  ? "  Surely  the  walls  of  this 
church  recede  and  we  take  in  all  the  churches.  Do  not 
all  church  walls  recede,  and  we  take  in  all  this  city,  and 
all  the  world?  The  brotherhood  of  the  race  is  in  the 
word  "our,"  for  all  men  are  the  children  of  the  Father; 


154  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

and  tliongh  as  wayward  and  rebellions  tliej  do  not  pray 
for  themselves,  we  wlio  pray  may  not  tlierefore  leave 
them  out  of  onr  prayers.  More  deeply  the  brotherhood 
of  all  those  having  the  child  spirit  is  in  the  word  "our." 
We  send  onr  money  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  heathen 
lands,  and  the  moment  a  heathen  is  converted  and  prays 
"Onr  Father,"  we  have  an  interest  in  his  prayers, 
another  agency  is  enlisted  in  onr  behalf — yes,  in  behalf 
of  all  mankind  at  the  throne  of  God.  Here,  then,  all  race 
distinctions  vanish,  all  ranks  and  titles  fade,  the  rich  and 
the  poor,  the  learned  and  the  unlearned  are  brothers.  A 
poor  man  kneeled  by  the  side  of  the  Prime  Minister  of 
England,  and  when  he  recognized  him  was  moving  away, 
when  Gladstone  detained  him  and  said,  "We  are  all 
equal  here."  The  fatherhood  of  God,  the  child  spirit  in 
Christlikeness,  the  brotherhood  of  the  race,  are  some  of 
the  great  truths  in  these  simple  words. 

Some  light  is  thrown  by  this  word  "our"  upon  the 
perplexing  subject  of  conflicting  prayers.  Two  Christian 
nations  are  to-day  at  war  in  South  Africa,  and  both  are 
earnestly  praying  for  success.  There  is  obviously  some- 
thing the  matter  with  the  word  "  our,"  for  they  are  not 
praying  for  each  other  but  against  each  other,  not  as 
brothers  but  as  enemies.  Tlie  proper  spirit  in  the  word 
"  our  "  would  settle  the  difficulty  in  some  other  way  than 
by  war.  So  in  our  Christian  land  to-day  a  great  labor 
strike  is  raging.  Through  the  cabin  door  of  the  coal-miner 
grim  famine  walks  while  the  family  are  on  bended  knee 
saying  "  Our  Father."  In  the  splendid  mansion  on  the 
Avenue,  supported  by  coal  dividends,  another  family  is 
beginning  the  day  with  prayer — "  Our  Father."  Here, 
too,  there  is  obviously  something  the  matter  with  the 


THE  LORD 'S  PRA  YER.  155 

word  "our" — the  real  brotherly  spirit  which  should 
thrill  through  that  word  would  quickly  settle  the  labor 
dispute  without  a  strike. 

Wlien  the  glad  time  comes,  as  come  it  will,  when  wars 
and  strikes  shall  cease,  it  will  be  when  all  men  possess 
the  child  spirit  and  dwell  together  as  brothers,  and  can 
say  in  all  truthfulness,  "  Our  Father,"  praying  for  each 
other  and  with  each  other. 

Our  Savior,  when  He  bids  us  call  God  our  Father, 
tells  us  to  add,  "  which  art  in  Heaven,"  or,  as  the  Ameri- 
can revisers  suggest,  "  who  art  in  Heaven,"  for  there  is 
no  good  reason  to  have  bad  English  in  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
however  ancient  the  usage. 

Where  Heaven  is  we  are  not  taught.  Some  have  fan- 
cied a  central  sun  around  which  the  universe  revolves — 
the  throne  of  the  Almighty  ;  but  the  stars,  the  myriad 
suns  of  space,  seem  to  be  moving  in  straight  or  wavering 
lines.  The  common  thought  of  Heaven,  though  vague, 
is  even  more  inspiring.  We  lift  up  our  eyes  and  see 
beyond  the  sun  and  stars  that  in  which  they  float,  the 
unchanging,  clear  blue  sky,  the  boundless  firmament  of 
Heaven.  Clouds  and  storms  roll  across  it  but  change  it 
not ;  the  bustle  of  this  noisy  world  rises  up  into  it  and  is 
lost  in  its  solemn  stillness,  the  sky  is  pure  and  calm  as 
ever. 

In  that  bright,  pure,  boundless,  unchanging  Heaven, 
of  which  the  countless  orbs  of  night  are  but  the  sentinel 
fires  upon  its  borders,  there  is  the  throne  of  God,  the 
Eternal — "  Our  Father  who  art  in  Heaven."  And,  glori- 
ous truth,  this  boundless  Heaven  comes  down  to  and 
enrapts  our  little  earth  !  Our  Father  in  Heaven  is  lifted 
up  beyond  comparison  with  earthly  fathers,  and  still  is 


156  THE  LORD 'S  PRA  YER. 

nearer  to  us  than  any  earthly  father.  The  telescope  tells 
of  His  vast  works  and  power.  Just  as  truly,  the  micro- 
scope tells  the  wonders  of  His  skill  in  insect  wing  and 
growing  flower,  as  if  God  had  nothing  else  to  do  in  this 
wide  universe  than  paint  the  rose  leaf.  So  it  is  not 
beyond  our  thought  that  the  hand  that  holds  creation  up 
should  wipe  the  tear  from  our  weeping  eyes,  since  He  is 
our  Father  in  Heaven. 

Another  thought  dawns  u]3on  our  waiting  souls.  If 
our  Father  is  in  Heaven,  then  we,  through  Him,  are 
children  of  Heaven.  This  is  not  our  liome ;  Heaven,  the 
Father's  house.  Heaven,  is  our  liome.  We  are  children 
being  educated  and  trained  by  our  wise  and  loving 
Father,  under  His  teaching  on  this  earth.  We  cannot 
tell  from  anything  we  are  now  what  we  shall  be  when 
His  glorious  purpose  is  fully  accomplished,  when  the 
redemption  is  completed,  when  with  glorified  body  and 
spirits  we  are  acknowledged  before  the  assembled  uni- 
verse as  His  children,  and  with  outbursts  of  praise  are 
brought  by  our  Father  to  His  heavenly  home ;  we  only 
know  we  children  of  the  earth  shall  be  meet  for  Heaven, 
for  we  shall  be  like  Christ,  our  elder  brother. 

It  is  possible,  of  course,  to  turn  away  from  this  prayer, 
as  from  all  prayer,  to  turn  away  from  this  revelation  of 
God  as  our  Father,  in  a  cold  and  disdainful  spirit.  You 
fathers  know  something  of  God,  since  all  that  is  good  in 
your  nature  is  enlarged  and  freed  from  all  infirmities  in 
Him.  Now  the  better  a  father  is  the  more  he  will  long 
for  the  responsive  love  of  his  child — unspeakable  is  his 
yearning  for  his  child's  trust  and  affection.  Surely  this 
too  must  exist  in  enlarged  measure  in  the  heart  of  our 
heavenly  Father.     So  we  are  sure  of  His  welcoming  the 


THE  LORD 'S  PRA  YER. 


157 


child  spirit  in  prayer,  and  also  that  turning  away  from 
prayer,  in  indifference  or  dislike,  grieves  His  father  heart. 
Shakespeare,  in  one  of  his  greatest  tragedies,  depicts  an 
aged  king  giving  his  kingdom  to  his  children.  As  soon 
as  the  j)Ower  was  in  their  hands  rivalry  took  possession 
of  their  hearts ;  they  thrust  their  aged  father  from  one 
to  the  other,  coldly  slighting  and  scorning  him  in  their 
seliish  pride,  until  their  cruel  disdain  forced  from  King 
Lear's  heart  the  cry  of  anguish,  "How  worse  than  ser- 
pent's tooth  it  is  to  have  a  thankless  child."  "  A  thank- 
less child ! "  Is  that  my  nature  as  God  looks  upon  my  open 
soul?  To  have  such  a  Father,  to  be  constantly  receiving 
blessings  from  His  love  and  yet  never  pray — a  thankless 
child.  Rather  we  should  constantly  cultivate  the  child 
spirit;  that  spirit  that  makes  childhood  so  happy — 
trust,  obedience,  love — that  brings  children  so  confidently 
to  us  fathers,  with  their  delights  and  desires.  The  more 
of  this  spirit  we  can  cultivate  toward  "  Our  Father  who 
art  in  Heaven,"  the  more  noble  and  blessed  our  lives  will 
be,  and  the  more  pleased  our  Father  will  be  with  us. 

Having  this  spirit,  we  may  truthfully  say,  "Our 
Father";  for  He,  looking  upon  our  souls,  will  say,  "It 
is  true,  they  are  my  children." 


"HALLOWED  BE  THY  NAME.'^ 

Matt,  vi :  9. 

The  more  civilization  advances  the  more  complicated 
are  the  relations  and  duties  of  our  lives.  Many  of  our 
most  perplexing  problems  would  be  solved  if  we  knew 
what  was  of  first  importance,  the  most  pressing  duty,  and 
at  ODce  had  a  strong  desire  to  do  it. 

In  astronomy  it  used  to  be  thought  that  the  earth  was 
the  center  of  the  universe,  and  that  the  sun,  moon,  and 
stars  revolved  around  it.  So  man  often  regards  himself 
of  supreme  importance  in  false  religion,  in  no  religion, 
and  often  in  the  true  religion.  Selfishness  often  usurps 
the  first  place  even  in  a  Christian's  prayers.  Our  Lord, 
in  this  first  petition,  deals  a  most  effective  blow  at  this 
conceit  of  man — He  teaches  liim  plainly  that  his  little 
personality  is  not  the  center  around  which  the  universe 
revolves.  But  not  only  does  our  Lord  teach  us  what  is 
our  first  duty,  as  in  the  Commandments,  He  inspires  us 
with  the  desire  to  do  it — a  longing  which  makes  the  first 
petition  of  the  prayer. 

Very  remarkable,  in  another  respect,  is  this  first  peti- 
tion: not  only  does  the  first  place  in  a  child's  desire 
belong  to  God,  but  the  first  desire  of  a  child  with  refer- 
ence to  God  is  that  His  name  may  be  held  as  holy. 
"  Holy"  is  the  first  word  the  Lord  teaches  us  to  pray — 
"  Holy  be  Thy  name  among  men." 

Holiness  is  something  more  than  a  mere  negative 
character,  free  from  defilement ;  it  is  positive,  the  very 
opposite  of  defilement.     An  innocent  being  is  pure,  but 

158 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  159 

may  be  very  weak.  A  holy  being  is  strong  in  the  quality 
opposite  of  impurity.  Man  the  sinner  has  often  wor- 
shiped the  idols  of  his  impure  imagination,  and  so  has 
confirmed  himself  in  his  own  impurity.  When  God 
taught  the  Israelites  concerning  Himself  it  was  most 
ditficult,  from  the  nature  of  the  scholars,  to  teach  them 
concerning  His  moral  purity.  His  holiness.  The  idea  of 
purity  pervaded  all  the  ceremonial  worship  of  the  taber- 
nacle and  temple;  each  ordinance  was  designed  to  reflect 
purity  upon  the  rest  until  the  idea,  rendered  intense  by 
so  many  rays,  was  referred  to  God.  Take,  for  instance, 
the  single  line  of  sacrifices.  The  animals  of  the  land 
were  divided  into  clean  and  unclean  ;  from  the  pure  class 
the  purest  was  selected,  one  without  spot  or  blemish ; 
this  was  to  be  offered  in  sacrifice  by  a  class  of  men  set 
apart  as  purified — the  priests  ;  this  pure  class  must  wash 
the  pure  sacrifice  in  clean  water.  Even  tliis  highest  possi- 
ble degree  of  earthly  purity  could  not  be  brought  into 
God's  presence ;  the  sacrifice  was  offered  in  the  court  of 
the  temple,  outside  the  holy  place,  still  further  removed 
from  the  Holy  of  Holies,  and  was  to  be  offered  on  an 
altar  by  purifying  fire,  while  the  worshipers  stood  afar  off. 

By  giving  the  Commandments,  by  the  worship  He 
instituted,  by  all  His  dealings  with  them,  by  His  proi)hets, 
God  taught  His  people  that  He  was  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel.  The  evangelic  prophet  describes  his  most  en- 
raptured vision  of  the  seraphim,  who  cried  one  to  another, 
"  Holy  !  holy !  holy  !  is  the  Lord  of  Hosts  ! " 

Travelers  in  Eastern  Switzerland  tell  us  that  Mount 
Blanc  dominates  the  scene.  One  bids  a  lingering  farewell 
to  the  grand  mountain,  thinks  he  will  never  see  it  again ; 
but  a  turn  is  made  in  the  road,  a  hill  is  reached,  a  break 


i6o  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

in  a  ridge  is  passed,  and,  lo  !  there  is  the  monarch  of 
mountains  lifting  high  its  diadem  of  snow.  So  the  rever- 
ent reader  of  the  Bible,  passing  through  its  many  scenes, 
can  never  lose  sight  of  the  holiness  of  God ;  it  recedes, 
it  comes  near,  it  frowns,  it  smiles,  but  it  is  everywhere 
present. 

Missionaries  often  find  great  difficulty  in  conveying  to 
the  heathen  mind  the  idea  of  holiness;  in  many  lan- 
guages there  is  no  word  expressing  the  thought.  Even 
om*  English  thought  grows  from  the  Scripture  revelation, 
and  is  forced  to  adapt  a  word  of  wholeness  to  express  it. 
God  is  a  Being  whose  nature  is  not  only  free  from,  but 
the  strong  opposite  of,  moral  defilement. 

God  was  known  by  several  names  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  there  are  indications  of  a  progressive  revela- 
tion of  God  by  His  names,  the  words  bringing  to  our 
thought  the  person  to  whom  they  belong.  A  name  ex- 
pressive of  power, "  the  Almighty,"  seems  to  have  prevailed 
in  the  earlier  times,  as  seen  in  the  names  of  places  and 
general  usage ;  this  is  usually  translated  in  our  English 
Old  Testament  by  the  word  "  God."  The  name  expressive 
of  self -existence,  "Jehovah,"  usually  translated  by  our  word 
"LoKD,"  in  small  capitals,  prevailed  afterwards,  when  the 
chosen  people  became  a  nation.  In  the  late  years  of  the 
nation's  life  the  name  "Jehovah"  was  regarded  as  so  holy 
that  it  was  never  pronounced  even  in  the  synagogue 
readings  on  the  Sabbath  day,  but  another  name  of  God 
expressive  of  majesty  was  pronounced  in  its  stead;  so 
the  correct  pronunciation  of  "Jehovah  "  is  now  unknown. 
With  these  names,  words  descriptive  of  His  character  and 
works  were  frequently  joined :  "the  Creator,"  "King," 
"Law-giver,"  "Judge,"'  "Lord   of   Hosts,"  "the  Holy 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  i6i 

One  of  Israel."  But  whatever  stage  of  the  revelation  of 
God  was  reached  His  holiness  was  ever  more  brightly 
displayed. 

At  length  the  crowning  revelation  is  made.  The  Son 
of  God  reveals  God  to  us  by  the  name  "  Father  " — a  name 
dimly  seen  in  the  Old  Testament,  for  it  is  doubtful  if 
Abraham,  Moses,  David,  or  Isaiah  ever  ventured  to  call 
God  by  the  name  of  Father,  even  in  prayer — a  name  of 
inexpressible  nearness,  tenderness,  and  love ;  and,  lo !  in 
that  name  shines  forth  with  still  brighter  rays  the  holi- 
ness of  God.  "  Our  Father  who  art  in  Heaven,  holy  be 
Thy  name." 

In  the  teachings  and  in  the  life  of  the  Son  of  God  in 
the  flesh  shines  forth  holiness — tlie  opposite  of  moral 
defilement,  free  from  the  slightest  touch  of  sin,  and 
strong  in  purity — a  holiness  filled  with  infinite  love,  liv- 
ing among  sinners  tliat  He  might  save  them  from  their 
sins,  yet  unsullied  by  their  sin.  In  the  atoning  death  of 
the  Savior  the  infinite  love  of  our  Father  in  self-sacrifice 
provides  for  our  coming  to  Him  freed  from  the  guilt  and 
power  of  sin  and  possessing  a  new  life  of  holiness  in 
Christ.  The  holy  love  of  the  infinite  God  shines  from 
the  cross;  the  fire  of  love  burns  away  the  guilt,  the  chains 
and  the  dross  of  sin,  and  kindles  in  the  penitent  disciple 
a  new  holiness  of  life.  The  earlier  revelation  of  God  is 
not  set  aside  or  in  any  way  corrected ;  it  advances,  as  the 
dawn  to  a  noonday  brightness.  The  name  ''  Father"  is  not 
opposed  to  His  other  names,  doing  away  with  them,  but 
combines  them  all,  with  added  wealth  of  revelation ;  and 
the  holiness  which  adhered  to  them  shines  with  full 
splendor  in  this  last,  best  name  of  God. 

How  prone,  on  the  contrary,  is  the  sinful  heart  to 


i62  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

attribute  to  God  the  lowest  idea  of  fatherhood ;  to  think 
of  Him  as  a  good-natured,  weakly  indulgent  father,  who 
does  not  really  care  whether  His  children  do  right  or 
wrong,  but  whose  sole  anxiety  is  to  preserve  them  from 
the  sufferings  they  court  by  their  misdeeds.  But  if  we 
are  taught  by  Christ,  if  we  receive  the  revelation  He 
makes,  and  truly  believe  in  Him,  we  are  constantly  re- 
minded that  our  Father  is  holy,  and  that  the  great  long- 
ing of  His  infinite  love  is  to  save  His  children  from  their 
sins. 

With  this  view  of  the  meaning  of  the  petition  we 
begin  to  see  why  our  Lord  gave  it  the  first  place  in  the 
prayer  He  taught  us. 

The  man  who  lives  in  a  narrow  valley,  hemmed  in  by 
high  mountains,  may  think  himself  and  his  home  of 
greatest  importance;  even  the  sky,  the  small  patch  of 
blue  between  the  mountain  tops,  is  but  the  covering 
of  his  head.  But  as  he  climbs  the  mountain  side  his 
views  expand,  and  when  he  reaches  the  highest  mountain 
peak  the  whole  world  lies  at  his  feet,  and  his  valley 
home  is  but  a  little  speck  hardly  to  be  seen  and  the  blue 
sky  is  boundless.  So  when  we  are  lifted  up  by  the  great 
Teacher  into  the  lofty  realm  of  clear  truth  and  pure  relig- 
ious emotion,  when  as  children  we  stand  in  the  presence 
of  our  holy  Father,  recognize  His  glorious  character, 
and  come  into  sympathy  with  His  glorious  designs,  our 
lower  wants,  which  before  were  so  important,  take  their 
proper  subordinate  place,  and  the  one  supreme  and  all- 
embracing  desire  is  that  everywhere  among  men  the 
loving,  holy  Father  may  be  regarded  as  holy,  with  rever- 
ence and  love.  The  first  utterance  of  the  child's  voice 
takes  the  keynote  from  the   praises   of    the  heavens. 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  163 

"  Holy !  holy !  holy ! "  cry  the  seraphim  before  His  throne. 
"Holy  be  Thy  name,"  prays  the  child  upon  his  footstool. 

Thus  our  Savior  teaches  us  that  the  matter  of  supreme 
importance  is  to  have  right  feelings  toward  God. 

As  we  reflect  we  see  that  it  must  be  of  supreme  impor- 
tance to  God  Himself,  and  that  this  first  longing  of  the 
child  heart  meets  the  first  desire  of  the  Father's. 

There  is,  of  course,  a  sense  in  which  it  is  perfectly 
clear  that  what  we  think  of  God  can  make  no  difference 
to  Him.  Our  opinion  of  Him  can  in  no  way  affect  His 
position ;  that  is  assured.  He  is  the  Supreme  Ruler  of 
the  wide  universe. 

"God  doth  not  need  either  man's  work  or  His  own 
gifts — His  state  is  kingly;  thousands  at  His  bidding 
speed  and  post  on  land  and  ocean  without  rest."  Our 
opinion  of  Him  can  in  no  way  affect  His  character.  That 
is  infinite  in  all  perfections  and  absolutely  unchangeable. 
Our  opinion  can  in  no  way  affect  His  reputation.  The 
opinion  others  beside  our  race  hold  of  Him  will  not  be 
changed  at  all  by  what  man  thinks  or  says.  We  cannot 
diminish  a  single  note  of  the  praises  of  the  angels ;  w^hat- 
ever  man  may  say,  the  seraphim  will  still  cry,  "  Holy ! 
holy!  holy!"  " 

But  there  is  also  a  sense  in  which  what  man  thinks  of 
God  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  Him.  We  may 
imagine  a  case  that  will  make  this  clear.  The  Emperor 
of  Germany  is  the  great  ruler  of  a  strong  nation  and 
highly  honored  by  the  world.  He  is  riding  with  his 
escort  through  the  streets  of  Berlin,  amid  the  acclama- 
tions of  his  loyal  people.  Here  are  three  little  boys  in 
the  crowd  who  have  no  word  of  acclaim  for  him,  who 
even  frown  upon  him  and  speak  harshly  of  him.     What 


1 64  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

does  lie  care  what  the  Httle  boys  think  and  speak  of  him  ? 
I  can  conceive  that  he  cares  more  for  the  good  opinion  of 
those  little  boys  than  he  does  for  all  the  plaudits  of  the 
nation  and  of  the  world.  Under  the  uniform  of  the 
Emperor  is  the  heart  of  a  father,  and  those  boys  are  his 
own  sons.  We  also  see  that  while  the  opinion  of  the 
boys  cannot  affect  the  Emj)eror's  position,  character,  and 
reputation,  it  must  have  a  very  large  effect  upon  their 
own.  Not  honoring  their  father  indicates  a  bad  charac- 
ter, insures  them  a  poor  reputation  among  all  right-think- 
ing men,  and  they  will  find,  though  a  king's  sons,  that 
reputation  and  character  will  have  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
their  own  position  in  life,  with  their  destiny.  It  is  also 
clear  that  while  the  Emperor  father  knows  all  this,  and 
desires  the  good  opinion  of  the  boys  for  the  boys'  sake,  to 
insure  their  well-being,  the  deeper  reason,  after  all,  is  the 
heart  hunger  of  the  father.  Nothing  can  satisfy  this 
but  the  esteem  and  love  of  his  sons.  If  we  ask  how  great 
this  hunger  is  in  the  heart  of  our  heavenly  Father,  we 
shall  have  to  understand  all  the  life  and  death  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  before  we  can  fathom  it.  All  the 
revelation  of  Himself  God  has  made,  culminating  in  His 
sending  His  Son,  is  the  expression  of  His  desire  that  we 
should  have  worthy  thoughts  and  right  feelings  toward 
Him.  All  His  dealings  with  us,  culminating  in  the 
Savior's  grace,  prompt  this  first  petition.  The  greatest 
honor  and  pleasure  a  father  can  have  is  to  be  rightly 
appreciated  and  loved  by  his  child,  and  the  greatest  desire 
of  a  true  child  is  to  please  and  honor  his  father.  How- 
ever His  child  may  have  misunderstood  and  disliked  the 
heavenly  Father  up  till  this  time,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
has  so  taught  and  renewed  him  that  now  he  turns  to  the 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER,  165 

Father  with  love  and  longing.  The  child  has  now  the 
true  child  spirit,  and  this  first  petition  shows  his  recogni- 
tion of  his  Father's  worthiness  and  his  desire  to  please 
and  honor  Him.  We  recognize  also  in  this  teaching  of 
onr  Savior  that  however  the  Father  may  have  been 
grieved  by  the  former  misunderstanding  and  dislike,  He 
is  now  pleased  and  honored  by  His  child's  prayer. 

Here,  then,  in  this  petition  is  a  complete  answer  to  one 
of  the  most  terrible  objections  unbelief  can  ever  bring 
against  prayer.  All  your  reasons  for  the  prayer  of 
children,  it  may  say,  are  strong,  provided  you  are  good 
children ;  but  when  you  are  confessedly  rebellious  and 
disobedient,  how  dare  you  j)ray  to  the  holy  God  ?  It  is 
true,  faith  answers,  that  the  prayers  of  the  wicked  must 
be  an  abomination  to  the  Lord.  For  a  wicked  man,  con- 
tinuing in  his  wickedness,  to  ask  God  to  favor  him  in  any 
way  is  virtually  to  ask  God  to  approve  of  his  wicked- 
ness, and  must  be  revolting  to  the  holy  One.  But 
prayer  is  an  entirely  different  thing ;  it  is  the  desire 
awakened  in  one  who  turns  from  sin  to  the  holy  God, 
and  it  embraces  an  appreciation  of  the  beauty  of  holiness 
in  God.  The  revelation  of  the  holy  Father  through 
Jesus  Christ  has  driven  away  the  misunderstanding  and 
waywardness  from  the  heart,  and  the  child  now  looks  up 
with  loving  gaze  into  the  face  of  God  and  prays. 

As  we  reflect  still  further,  w^e  see  that  this  first  petition 
is  intensely  practical — that  it  craves  the  greatest  good 
mankind  can  receive.  Should  the  question  be  asked, 
"What  is  the  deepest  need  of  mankind  to-day?"  the 
first  blush  answer  of  any  one  of  us  would  hardly  be 
"To  hold  God's  name  as  holy."  But  we  are  not  to  give 
a  hasty  answer ;  we  are  standing  on  the  mountain  top  of 


i66  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

clear  truth  and  pure  religious  feeling,  where  our  Savior 
has  led  us ;  we  have  been  looking  off  into  the  heavens  to 
the  throne  of  eternal  holiness,  and  now,  as  we  look  down 
upon  the  earth,  upon  our  fellow  men,  deep  sympathy 
with  our  Savior  takes  possession  of  us,  we  look  with 
His  eyes  upon  the  deepest  need  of  mankind,  and  He 
inspires  this  first  petition.  May  all  mankind  regard  God 
as  holy ! 

As  we  look  upon  the  race  of  man  we  see  that  while 
there  is  much  happiness,  there  is  also  much  misery.  If 
all  men  knew  of  the  heavenly  Father,  with  His  yearning 
love^and  His  guidance  to  a  better  life,  what  addition  to 
their  happiness,  what  comfort  in  their  misery,  that  would 
bring  !  As  we  look  more  intently  we  see  that  underneath 
the  misery  there  often  lies  sinfulness,  that  smoldering 
passions  in  the  heart  often  send  forth  fumes  of  misery  in 
the  life;  and  that  our  lives  are  so  linked  together,  that  the 
present  generation  has  inherited  so  much  from  former 
generations  that  one  cannot  find  the  limit  of  the  persist- 
ency and  spreading  power  of  both  sin  and  misery.  Still, 
the  case  is  plain  that  if  the  smoldering  passions  could  be 
removed  from  the  human  heart ;  if  lust,  jealousy,  anger, 
injustice  could  be  expelled,  and  holiness  in  thought  and 
feeling  take  their  place,  that  the  fumes  of  misery  now 
enveloping  human  life  so  heavily  would  become  less 
poisonous  and  might  fade  away.  It  is  also  plain  that 
the  adoration  of  the  holy  Father,  the  admiring  His 
character  with  intense  longing  and  the  spirit  of  loving 
obedience,  the  worshiping  of  the  holy  God  would,  by 
the  laws  of  our  nature,  have  a  strong  tendency  to  expel 
evil  from  the  heart,  and  to  make  the  worshiper  grow 
holy,  like  the  God  he  worships. 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  167 

He  who  has  sympathy  with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
will  do  all  in  his  power  to  relieve  the  suffering  of  his 
fellow  men,  as  his  Savior  did  while  dwelling  upon  earth, 
and  also  will  recognize  the  deep  meaning  of  the  Savior's 
mission  here,  and  that  the  greatest  good  he  can  bring  to 
his  fellow  men  is  to  lead  them  to  worship  the  holy 
God. 

Man  is  lost  in  sin,  and  Jesus  Christ  came  to  seek  and 
save  the  lost.  The  holy  God  is  the  Savior ;  He  re- 
news man  in  His  own  likeness.  This  is  the  greatest 
good,  and  includes  all  lesser  good,  and  this  is  the  petition 
of  the  renewed  heart  for  his  fellow  man,  for  the  greatest 
blessing  he  can  receive.  We  may  and  should  strive  to 
better  the  condition  of  our  fellow  men ;  we  may  and 
should  strive  to  enforce  laws  just  to  all ;  we  may  and 
should  strive  to  educate  and  elevate  all  men ;  but  all 
this  and  far  more  is  included  in  this  prayer,  that  sin- 
ful men  may  be  brought  back  to  the  holy  God. 

On  a  cold  winter's  night  you  lind  a  child  sobbing  on 
the  street.  You  ask,  "  What  is  the  matter  % "  and  she  can 
only  sob,  "  I  am  lost !  I  am  lost !  "  At  once  you  wrap 
your  greatcoat  around  her ;  you  take  her  to  a  store  and 
buy  something  for  her  to  eat ;  you,  to  quiet  her,  tell  her 
stories,  and  you  are  doing  a  great  kindness  to  her.  If 
her  father  in  the  mansion  on  the  Avenue  knew  it,  he 
would  be  thankful  for  your  goodness  to  his  lost  child. 

But  you  can  do  more  and  better.  You  are  doing  all 
this  in  order  that  you  may  confer  the  one  all-including 
blessing.  As  soon  as  the  child  is  quieted  from  her  panic 
you  ask  her,  "  Where  do  you  live  ? "  She  gives  you  her 
name  and  the  number  on  the  Avenue  where  she  lives. 
You  carry  her  with  all  haste,  you  ring  the  door-beli 


i68  THE  LORD 'S  PRA  YER. 

eagerly,  and  you  place  the  lost  child  in  the  father's  arms. 
]^ow  you  have  done  the  all-embracing  good,  brought  the 
lost  child  home — the  highest  good  for  child  and  parents, 
too ;  warmth,  food,  and  all  home  good  follows.  So  this 
petition  is  that  all  men  may  be  brought  from  the  dark- 
ness and  misery  of  sin  to  the  loving  adoration  of  the 
heavenly  Father — ^the  lost  brought  home. 

To-day  the  world  stands  aghast  at  the  uprising  of 
the  great  Chinese  people  to  expel  the  hated  foreigners,  at 
the  massacre  of  women  and  children,  and  at  the  fierce- 
ness of  the  cruelty  and  treachery  of  which  the  human 
heart  is  capable.  Has  all  this  rage  of  a  great  nation  been 
aroused  against  missionaries  ?  Is  this  something  to  be  ex- 
pected at  the  introduction  of  our  religion  into  a  foreign 
land  ?  So  some  would  have  us  beheve,  and  so  would  dis- 
credit the  missionary  work.  We  should  remember  that 
three  classes  of  Christians  have  had  marked  dealings 
with  China,  and  she  judges  them  together,  as  one. 

First,  there  has  been  the  Christian  with  the  scales  and 
machinery.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  the  scales  have  not  always 
been  justly  balanced,  and  that  may  have  awakened  some 
hard  feelings  in  the  heathen  mind.  It  is  also  evident  that 
the  introduction  of  machinery,  while  in  the  long  run  a  great 
blessing,  at  first  awakens  opposition,  as  it  disturbs  exist- 
ing conditions,  and  creates  an  industrial  revolution  in 
which  many  lose  their  former  means  of  gaining  a  living. 
Among  an  ignorant  people,  whose  conditions  from  time 
immemorial  are  thus  disturbed,  a  great  hard  feeling 
would  arise  against  those  bringing  in  and  setting  up  the 
hated  machines. 

Secondly,  there  has  been  the  Christian  with  the  sword. 
Some  of  the  missionaries  may  have  appealed  too  quickly 


THE  LORD 'S  PRA  YER.  169 

for  the  protection  of  themselves  and  their  converts  to  the 
great  nations  in  treaty  with  China.  In  protecting  the 
converts  against  persecution,  and  in  claiming  privileges 
for  them,  the  missionaries  may  have  been  abused  by 
their  own  converts,  and  have  awakened  prejudice  against 
themselves  and  the  religion  they  sought  to  commend. 

While  the  missionaries  may  have  appealed  too  easily 
to  the  sword  for  protection  and  compensation  for  dam- 
ages done,  that  after  all  has  been  a  very  small  part  of  the 
impression  "the  Christian  with  the  sword"  has  made 
upon  the  heathen  mind.  This  Christian  with  the  sword 
has  too  often  seemed  like  a  robber  with  a  sword.  The 
great  nations,  in  rivalry  with  each  other  to  extend  their 
commerce  and  their  ''spheres  of  influence,"  have  quite 
naturally  awakened  in  the  Chinese  nation  the  fear  that 
they  would  take  all  they  conld  get,  even  to  the  extent  of 
dividing  up  the  whole  nation  between  them.  Kow  that 
the  Christian  nations  have  been  brought  to  face  this 
heathen  view  of  their  conduct,  we  believe  they  will  dis- 
avow siich  intention,  and  wdll  treat  that  great  heathen 
nation  with  Christian  justice  and  generosity.  Surely 
such  should  be  the  attitude  of  our  own  country.  But 
it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  China,  holding  the 
fear  that  she  was  in  danger  of  being  dismembered, 
should  have  risen  in  her  might  against  the  foreigner, 
and  the  intensity  of  her  cruel  rage  is  due  to  her  heathen 
character. 

Thirdly,  there  has  been  the  Christian  with  the  Bible. 
It  is  quite  evident  that,  being  human,  he  may  have  erred 
in  some  of  his  methods,  but  as  evident  that  tlie  message 
he  bears  is  for  the  highest  good  of  the  Chinese  nation. 
Higher  and  purer  than  tlie  morals  taught  by  Confucius 


17© 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER, 


are  those  of  the  Bible ;  but  this  is  only  saying  that  they 
are  of  the  same  kind,  differing  only  in  degree. 

The  Bible  has  a  message  of  an  entirely  different  kind 
from  any  Confucius  gave  his  people.  He  taught  them 
about  their  relations  with  each  other,  but  was  silent  about 
God.  He  gave  them  a  system  of  morals,  but  brought  to 
them  no  power  to  keep  even  the  morals  he  taught.  The 
Bible  brings  better  morals  and  also  a  power  to  lead  men 
to  keep  them,  for  its  distinctive  message  is  the  revelation 
of  God  as  our  holy  Father.  The  system  of  morals 
shows  us  how  the  holy  Father  would  have  us  live  among 
each  other,  and  then  He  assures  us  that  He  is  with  us 
always  to  inspire  and  help  us.  To  bring  this  message  to 
that  ancient  people  is  to  bring  the  greatest  blessing  to 
their  lives.  Surely  we  should  not  suffer  hatred  of  the 
Chinese  to  be  awakened  in  our  hearts  by  the  present  out- 
break of  their  patriotism,  though  it  fails  to  discriminate 
between  provocation  and  blessing.  Rather  there  should 
be  a  yearning  love  for  that  misguided  and  cruel  people, 
and  a  desire  to  bless  them  with  the  enlightenment  and 
love  of  the  Gospel.  Thus  we  shall  more  fully  enter  into 
the  spirit  of  this  first  petition.  May  the  whole  world 
learn  of  the  holy  ISTame,  so  as  to  recognize  its  own  sinful- 
ness and  turn  in  penitence  to  the  worship  and  service  of 
our  holy  Father  in  Heaven! 

The  darkness  of  sin  and  misery  will  alike  be  driven 
away  when  all  men  worship  the  holy  God.  If  you 
should  reach  Zermatt,  at  the  foot  of  the  Matterhorn,  in 
the  evening,  you  would  probably,  after  tea,  stroll  out  to 
see  the  great  mountain.  How  forbidding  and  terrible  it 
appears  in  the  growing  darkness!  what  terrors  it  awakens! 
what  awful  tragedies  it  recalls!     In  the  morning,  called 


THE  LORD 'S  PRA  YER, 


171 


early,  you  stand  again  at  the  same  spot  and  look  off  at  tlie 
same  mountain.  Your  eye  follows  the  dim  outline  upward 
until  you  gaze  upon  a  wonderful  transformation  being 
wrought  in  its  loftiest  heights.  A  great  angel  from  the 
lieavens  seems  standing  on  the  mountain  top,  clothed  in 
white  samite — mystic,  wonderful.  What  is  working  the 
marvelous  change  ?  The  mountain  peak,  with  open  face, 
is  looking  upon  the  rising  sun,  no  cloud  or  mist  between, 
and  soon  the  whole  mountain  will  be  one  glittering  mass 
of  white  light — like  another  sun  upon  the  earth.  So 
may  the  whole  race  of  man  look  with  open  face,  with  no 
cloud  between,  upon  the  holy  God,  and  become  holy, 
like  Him. 

We  may  now  consider  a  third  element  of  great  desire 
entering  into  this  petition ;  it  comes  last,  since  we  are 
being  taught  by  Christ,  but  it  is  no  less  strong.  Stand- 
ing upon  the  mountain  top  with  our  Savior,  we  have 
looked  up  into  the  heavens  and  prayed  "for  the  Father's 
sake ;"  we  have  looked  down  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  and  prayed  "for  our  brothers'  sake."  ]^ow  we 
look  into  our  own  hearts  and  pray,  for  our  own  sake, 
*' Hallowed  be  Thy  name."  The  child,  even  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Father,  is  conscious  that  there  are  still  some 
misconceptions  of  his  sinful  mind  that  dim  and  distort 
his  views  of  the  holiness  of  God.  He  is  also  conscious 
that  selfishness  and  sinful  passions  remaining  in  his 
heart  chill  his  love  for  the  holy  God.  He  is  further 
conscious  that  though  he  has  turned  to  God  in  true 
penitence  and  faith,  he  is  still  far  from  being  holy  as 
God  is  holy.  All  this  consciousness  of  glaring  defects 
awakens  in  his  heart  a  growing  desire  to  be  free  from 
them :   "  May  I   constantly   have   clearer  views   of  the 


172  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

holiness  of  God ;  may  I  ever  have  a  warmer  love  for  the 
holy  God;  may  I  continually  become  more  like  the 
holy  God.  '  Hallowed  be  Thy  name '  in  my  mind  and 
heart  and  life." 

"Whatever  plans  the  Christian  may  devise  to  grow  in 
holiness,  whatever  efforts  he  may  make  to  remove  evil 
from  his  nature  and  cultivate  the  good,  he  will  find  his 
Savior  has  given  him  in  this  petition  the  secret  of  success. 
If  he  looks  up  to  God  the  Holy  One  with  adoring  gaze,  if 
he  opens  his  heart  with  earnest  longing  for  the  indwelling 
of  the  holy  Spirit,  he  will  be  "changed  into  the  same 
image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  spirit  of  the 
Lord."  Astronomy  has  made  great  discoveries  recently 
by  means  of  sidereal  photography.  "What  is  called  a 
slow-process  plate  is  so  arranged  by  a  clockwork  contri- 
vance that  it  does  not  feel  the  motion  of  the  earth,  but 
remains  exposed  to  a  particular  part  of  the  heavens  for 
several  hours.  On  a  clear  night,  when  there  is  not  a  film 
of  cloud  in  the  sky,  this  plate  steadily  gazes  at  a  single 
part  of  the  heavens,  and  thus  a  wondrous  change  is 
wrought  upon  it ;  for  when  it  is  now  examined  it  is  found 
crowded  with  specks  of  light.  It  has  photographed  the 
stars ! — not  only  the  stars  that  could  be  seen  through  the 
telescope,  but  many  others  beyond  the  vision  of  the  best 
instruments  man  has  been  able  to  devise — its  long  and 
steady  gaze  has  caught  the  flashings  of  the  most  distant 
suns  in  the  universe  of  God  !  There  is  a  kind  of  spiritual 
photography  more  wonderful  than  this  sidereal  photog- 
raphy. When  the  enraptured,  sensitive  soul,  not  carried 
away  by  the  earth  motion,  the  spirit  of  worldliness,  looks 
long  and  steadily  off  to  the  holv  God,  when  there  is  no 
earth  mist  or  cloud  that  comes  between  the  adoring  soul 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  1^3 

and  the  heavenly  Father,  then  there  is  wrought  upon  the 
soul,  through  the  laws  of  its  being,  the  likeness  of  the 
Father  in  the  child  nature,  and  the  child  becomes  holy, 
even  as  God  Himself  is  holy. 


"THY  KmGDOM   COME." 

Matt,  vi  .  10, 

This  gospel,  by  St.  Matthew,  is  called  by  some  the  Gos- 
pel of  the  Kingdom,  as  distinguishing  it  from  the  other 
gospels.  It  is  linked  with  the  Old  Testament  by  its 
many  quotations  applying  to  the  King  and  the  Kingdom. 
In  the  opening  chapters  the  lineage  of  the  King  is  given, 
the  wise  men  from  the  East  inquire  for  the  One  born 
King  of  the  Jews,  and  His  herald  announces  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven  at  hand.  In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
the  King  proclaims  the  principles  of  His  Kingdom.  In 
the  earlier  grouping  of  the  parables,  Christ  describes  His 
Kingdom ;  in  the  later  group.  He  describes  Himself  as 
King.  Coming  near  to  the  end  of  His  life,  the  King  gives 
the  principles  of  self-government  to  his  subjects,  proclaims 
the  honors  and  rewards  of  His  Kingdom,  and  enters  the 
Capital  City  as  King.  There  he  denounces  usurpers, 
suffers  and  dies  for  His  people ;  then,  triumphing  over 
death.  He  directs  the  conquest  of  the  world.  In  this 
single  short  gospel  there  are  at  least  fifty  references  to 
the  Kingdom.  But  when  we  turn  to  the  other  gospels  we 
find  the  same  prominence  given  to  the  Kingdom,  though 
in  somewhat  different  form.  There  are  almost  as  many 
references  to  the  Kingdom  in  Luke  as  in  Matthew,  while 
Mark  may  be  called  the  gospel  of  the  great  deeds  of  the 
King,  and  John,  though  having  few  direct  references  to 
the  Kingdom,  teaches  concerning  it  in  the  great  allegories 
of  the  Shepherd  and  His  flock,  the  vine  and  its  branches, 
the  bread  and  water  of  life,  and  Christ,  the  light  of  the 

174 


THE  LORD 'S  PRA  YER. 


175 


world.  In  all  His  life  and  teachings  we  find  Christ 
gives  great  prominence  to  the  Kingdom  of  God.  He 
came  to  establish  it ;  He  is  the  King  of  it ;  He  calls  the 
glad  tidings  "  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom."  The  great 
Teacher  would  have  His  disciples  give  the  same  promi- 
nence to  the  Kingdom  in  their  thought,  desire,  and  effort, 
and  so  instructs  them  to  pray  daily  "  Thy  Kingdom 
come."  So  the  disciple,  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  a  child 
of  God,  recognizes  that  the  government  of  His  holy 
Father  is  the  best  conceivable  for  himself  and  his  fellow 
men,  and  voices  the  conviction  and  desire  of  his  soul  in 
this  petition. 

We  can  never  overestimate  the  value  of  a  single  soul. 
Our  Lord  shows  us  this  in  many  striking  teachings  and  in 
His  treatment  of  individuals.  Neither  can  we  overesti- 
mate the  importance  of  the  life  after  death.  As  Christ 
turns  from  His  apostles  to  the  cross.  He  bids  them  think 
of  Him  as  preparing  mansions  for  them  and  waiting  to 
bring  them  again  to  Himself.  Our  tendency,  rather,  is 
to  underestimate  the  value  of  the  present  life  upon  the 
earth  and  the  importance  of  the  social  relations ;  but  this 
tendency  runs  directly  counter  to  the  life  and  teachings 
of  our  Lord.  The  salvation  of  an  individual,  as  Christ 
holds  the  glorious  ideal  before  us,  does  not  consist  in  his 
living  a  detached  life,  separate  from  others,  either  in  this 
world  or  the  world  to  come.  The  perfection  which  is  at 
all  Christlike  is  not  isolation,  but  the  ideal  relationship 
with  God  and  man  begun  here  and  now,  and  reaching  out 
into  eternity.  Man,  as  he  left  the  hand  of  his  Creator, 
was  in  his  nature  a  social  being.  Sin  has  not  destroyed 
his  nature,  though  it  has  fearfully  marred  it,  leading  him 
often  to  war  against  his  father  and  his  brother.     The 


176  THE  LORD 'S  PRA  YER, 

Savior  restores  and  ennobles  man  as  a  social  being.  His 
Kingdom  is  the  reverse  of  the  disintegration  into  insu- 
lated and  conflicting  lives  wrought  by  sin ;  it  is  the  com- 
bining together  of  helj^ful  and  loving  lives  under  the  rule 
of  his  righteous  law.  The  eternal  life  is  begun  now  on 
earth.  Christ  is  a  present  Savior  of  individuals  not  only, 
but,  through  these,  of  Society.  His  conception  of  what 
Society  may  become,  and  of  the  means  and  processes  of 
attaining  it,  forms  a  large  part  of  His  teaching.  He  shows 
us  His  plan  ;  He  stirs  us  with  His  spirit ;  He  awakens  in 
us  confidence  in  His  power  and  grace ;  He  calls  us  to  be 
coworkers  with  Him ;  He  bids  us  pray  "  Thy  Kingdom 
come." 

The  two  characteristic  terms  in  the  teaching  of  our 
Lord  seem  the  "  Son  of  Man,"  with  reference  to  Him- 
self, and  the  "  Kingdom  of  God,"  with  reference  to  His 
work.  The  underlying  thought  unites  them.  He  was 
the  ideal,  the  complete  man,  in  all  the  relations  of  life. 
His  followers  are  to  become  like  Him.  The  Kingdom  of 
God  is  the  social  order  where  men  live  out  their  complete 
lives,  their  relations  to  God  being  those  of  sons,  their 
relations  to  one  another  being  those  of  brothers.  Any- 
thing that  brings  in  this,  that  progresses  toward  this,  is 
the  coming  of  the  Kingdom. 

In  Christ's  teaching,  this  Kingdom  is  the  highest  good 
for  mankind,  the  goal  of  effort,  the  reward  of  consecra- 
tion, the  abode  of  blessedness.  In  the  Gospels,  we  have 
the  life  of  Christ  giving  us  the  example  and  impulses  of 
the  Kingdom,  and  His  teachings  setting  forth  fully  and 
clearly  its  principles  and  laws.  In  the  Acts  and  the 
Epistles  we  have,  by  the  apostles  and  immediate  followers 
of  our  Lord,  the  application  of  these  impulses  and  prin- 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  177 

ciples  to  the  then  existing  conditions  of  human  life.  In 
our  day  the  great  duty  and  vast  privilege  rests  upon  us, 
His  followers,  to  apply  His  impulses  and  principles  to 
the  conditions  of  Society  prevailing  now  in  the  whole 
earth.  The  subject  grows  upon  us  when  we  begin 
thoughtfully  to  pray  "  Thy  Kingdom  come." 

What  low  views  man  may  take  of  a  lofty  subject  finds 
an  instance  in  the  ideas  of  the  Kingdom  prevailing  in  the 
time  of  Christ  and  lingering  in  some  forms  even  to  our 
day.  The  Jews  thought  of  a  visible  material  kingdom, 
like  that  of  David ;  righteousness  was  to  characterize  it, 
but  it  was  to  be  enthroned  in  power  and  ruled  by  force, 
attended  with  great  prosperity  and  extended  over  all  the 
earth.  Some  of  the  views  of  the  second  coming  of 
Christ  to  establish  his  Kingdom  in  person  on  the  earth 
partake  largely  of  this  view.  This  view  voiced  itself  in 
the  eager  question  to  Christ :  ''  When  will  the  Kingdom 
come?"  He  answered  clearly:  "It  cometh  not  with 
observation ;  it  does  not  come  with  the  tread  of  armies, 
with  the  pomp  of  courts,  with  the  retinue  of  a  king ;  it  is 
not  such  a  Kingdom  as  you  suppose ;  it  is  within  you — a 
spiritual  Kingdom  already  begun  in  the  heart,  and  to 
spread  from  heart  to  heart  among  mankind." 

This  inner  spiritual  Kingdom  has,  however,  its  appro- 
priate outward  form,  and  tlirough  this  will  exert  its  influ- 
ence for  good  upon  the  race  of  man.  The  petition,  "  Thy 
Kingdom  come,"  includes,  therefore,  its  establishment  in 
individual  souls;  its  moulding  the  society  of  such  souls; 
its  extending  through  such  society  until  it  revolutionizes 
all  Society  into  itself. 

The  entrance  into  this  Kingdom  can  only  be  by  the 
new  birth.     Christ  taught  Nicodemus,  a  good  man  and 


178  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

an  earnest  seeker  of  truth,  that  one  must  be  born  again 
before  he  could  enter  the  Kingdom  of  God.  It  is  pos- 
sible to  take  two  views  of  the  universal  sinfulness  of  man, 
which  is  generally  acknowledged.  The  one  is  that  this 
sinfulness  is  a  defect  incident  to  development,  like  the 
tottering  steps  of  a  child  learning  to  walk;  that  it  co- 
exists in  the  best  men,  with  many  virtues  so  shining  that 
they  make  a  large  balance  to  the  credit  of  such  men,  and 
that  men  generally  possess  such  inherent  strength  that 
they  can  save  themselves  from  sinfulness ;  that  their  only 
need  is  a  reformation  which  they  can  institute  and  com- 
plete whenever  they  arouse  to  the  effort;  that  good 
counsel  and  influence,  education  and  culture,  are  all  they 
need  to  become  good.  The  other  view  is  that  sin  vitiates 
the  whole  nature  of  man ;  that  it  clouds  even  the  virtues 
of  comparatively  good  men,  and  that  all  men  are  abso- 
lutely unable  to  free  themselves  from  it.  True,  any  man 
may  reform  from  some  particular  sin,  but  no  man  can 
reform  from  all  sinfulness,  just  as  a  man  may  keep  out 
the  tide  of  the  ocean  from  some  particular  inlet  by  build- 
ing a  dam  across  it,  but  all  men  combined  cannot  stop 
the  rising  of  the  tide  along  the  coast.  Man  needs  more 
than  a  reformation  he  can  accomplish  himself ;  he  needs 
a  change  of  nature  he  is  utterly  powerless  to  work. 
Without  much  meditation  we  can  see  at  the  first  glance 
that  Christ's  words  to  Nicodemus  favor  this  latter  view 
of  man's  sinfulness. 

It  is  possible  also  to  take  two  views  of  the  religion  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  one  is  that  He  w^as  a  mere 
man,  richly  gifted,  and  especially  having  a  keen  insight 
in  religious  and  moral  themes,  also  deep  love  for  his  fel- 
low men  and  a  pure  soul  and  life.     He  was  like  other 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  179 

religious  teachers,  only  far  better,  having  richer  gifts  and 
purer  love.  Taking  this  vievr  of  Christ,  there  are  many 
things  about  His  life,  teaching,  and  claims  which  seem 
to  require  a  great  deal  of  impossible  explanation. 

The  other  view  is  that  He  is  Divine ;  that  He  came  to 
the  earth  to  teach  the  things  man  could  not  otherwise 
learn,  and  to  do  the  work  man  could  not  do — to  bring 
the  help  man  needed,  even  the  Divine  power  to  save  man 
from  sin,  and  his  religion  to-day  still  brings  the  present 
Savior,  the  Divine  power  to  save.  We  can  see  here  also 
at  a  glance  that  Christ's  words  to  Mcodemus  favor  this 
latter  view  of  His  mission.  Combine  these  two  views  of 
man's  sinfulness  and  the  rehgion  of  Christ,  and  the  one 
fits  the  other.  If  sin  is  but  a  slight  defect  a  human  de- 
vised religion  will  answer  our  purpose ;  all  we  need  is 
culture.  If  sin  is  an  awful  deflection  of  the  whole  man, 
bringing  guilt  and  pollution  to  the  whole  nature,  then  a 
human  devised  rehgion  is  of  no  avail — we  need  a  Divine 
power  to  save.  This  great  need  of  man  for  renewal  is 
met  by  the  present  Savior  having  power  to  renew.  The 
great  Teacher  not  only  shows  Nicodemus  the  need,  but 
freely  offers  him  the  supply,  in  His  own  saving  power. 
This  new  life  issues  into  the  Kingdom  of  God — the  be- 
liever in  Christ  becomes  at  once  the  loyal  subject  of  the 
King,  having  the  new  life  of  obedience  and  love. 

The  petition,  "Thy  Kingdom  come,"  includes,  then,  first 
of  all,  that  men  may  be  converted  to  God ;  that,  renowned 
by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they  may  enter  the  Kingdom  of 
God ;  that  the  Kingdom  may  be  constantly  enlarged  by 
an  ever-increasing  number  of  willing  subjects. 

These  willing  subjects  are  not  withdrawn  from  Society, 
from  the  relationships  of  life,  but  by  the  rule  of  the  King 


i8o  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

are  now  to  become  sucli  citizens  of  the  State,  such  mem- 
bers of  the  family  and  of  the  whole  social  order  as  He 
directs.  For  this  and  other  high  purposes  our  Lord  made 
provision  for  the  formation  of  His  followers  into  a  Society 
which  should  acknowledge  Him  as  the  Christ  and  be 
governed  by  His  spirit.  He  is  the  Christ,  the  Anointed 
One,  predicted  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  foreshadowed 
by  the  Old  Testament  lines  of  anointed  prophets,  priests, 
and  kings.  As  Prophet,  He  teaches  heavenly  truth,  the 
reality  worth  living  for  ;  as  Priest,  He  reveals  the 
infinite  love  and  righteousness  of  God,  bearing  the  burden 
of  man's  sin ;  as  King,  He  rules  His  people.  Believers 
in  Him  learn  of  Him,  are  His  disciples,  trust  Him  for 
forgiveness  and  the  title  to  life,  the  results  of  His  sacri- 
fice ;  but  all  this  that,  enjoying  the  new  life,  they  may 
obey  Him  as  their  King.  The  Kingdom  is  the  ultimate 
aim  of  all  His  saving  work.  He  is  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Anointed  Savior ;  He  saves  to  rule  in  the  lives  of  His 
subjects.  The  Kingdom  of  God  is  the  salvation  He 
brings  us,  and  men  are  made  willing,  even  enthusiastic, 
subjects  of  the  glorious  King. 

The  Society  Christ  establishes  is  of  His  followers,  and  in 
it  they  are  to  be  trained  in  the  development  of  the  new 
life  of  love  to  God  and  love  to  man.  It  is  the  coming 
kingdom  of  God,  growing  in  numbers  and  growing  in  the 
sway  of  the  King  over  His  willing  subjects. 

But  this  is  a  Society  within  a  society  ;  the  followers  of 
Christ  are  not  removed  from  the  family,  or  the  State,  or 
industrial  conditions,  or  any  form  of  the  social  order. 
The  Society  of  Christ  is,  therefore,  to  live  in  the  society 
of  nature,  to  enter  all  its  relations  with  its  new  spirit,  to 
influence  the  old  social  order,  not  by  destroying  any  of 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  i8i 

its  essential  forms,  but  by  renovating  tliem,  to  give  to 
tlie  social  order  a  new  example  of  life  as  it  should  be,  a 
new  force  of  life  as  it  shall  be.  The  self -centered  life  led 
to  separation  and  conflict.  The  Christ-centered  life  leads  to 
union  and  to  love.  As  men  come  nearer  to  Christ,  they 
are  nearer  to  each  other ;  as  they  yield  to  His  teaching  and 
influence,  they  begin  to  trust  and  love  God  as  sons  should 
a  father,  and  to  help  each  other  as  brothers  should.  The 
coming  Kingdom  of  the  petition  is,  therefore,  the  grow- 
ing of  Christ's  society  not  only,  but  the  growing  of  its 
influence  in  the  social  order,  the  lifting  up  of  man,  the 
social  being,  toward  itself.  This  does  not  do  away  with 
the  new  birth,  but  prepares  for  it,  even  for  the  glad  time 
when  "  A  nation  shall  be  born  in  a  day." 

The  petition  includes  the  Church — the  Society  whose 
distinct  avowal  is  "  Christ  is  our  King."  She  may  be  slow 
sometimes  in  seeing  and  obeying  His  laws,  still  her  avowed 
purpose  is  to  be  loyal  to  Him. 

The  petition  also  includes  Christian  civilization,  the 
institutions  and  customs  of  Society  gradually  coming  into 
greater  harmony  with  the  commands  of  the  King.  In 
Christian  lands  those  who  do  not  acknowledge  Christ  as 
their  King  are  still  somewhat  influenced  by  Him,  live  better 
lives,  even  bad  men,  than  they  would  without  the  elevating 
and  restraining  power  of  the  King,  and  men  generally  are 
better  citizens,  purer  and  truer  men  and  women,  than  they 
would  be  without  Christ.  Thus  the  Kingdom  comes  in 
the  uplift  of  generation  after  generation,  in  the  deepen- 
ing and  spreading  of  Christ's  power  among  men,  in  the 
enlarging  number  of  those  acknowledging  Him  as  King, 
giving  promise  of  the  time,  or  when  human  Society  shall 
be  the  Kingdom  of  God.     In  the  order  of  development 


1 82  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

the  salvation  of  individuals  precedes  the  salvation  of 
Society  and  is  in  order  to  it. 

Christ's  immediate  aim  is  the  conversion  of  the  indi- 
vidual ;  His  ultimate  aim  is  the  conversion  of  Society. 
The  salvation  is  not  separation  from  man,  but  union  with 
him,  and  love  is  the  law.  The  ideal  manhood  of  Christ 
is  the  ideal  individual  in  the  ideal  Society.  The  law  of 
love  is  not  an  individual  sentiment,  but  the  law  of  rela- 
tionship ;  it  enters  the  relation  of  employee  and  employer, 
the  business  transaction,  the  production  and  distribution 
of  wealthy  the  family,  and  all  the  conditions  of  social  life. 
The  Kingdom  of  God  is  a  Society  knit  together  in  all  its 
relations  by  righteousness  and  love,  but  these  ties,  binding 
together  in  mutual  service  the  highest  and  the  lowest,  the 
strongest  and  the  weakest,  bind  all  in  enthusiastic  loyalty 
to  the  King  whose  infinite  greatness  is  ever  engaged  in 
the  lowest  service  of  true  love.  Christ's  teaching  of  the 
value  of  the  individual  makes  the  lowest  man  a  brother 
of  the  King,  and  makes  the  service  done  to  the  lowest  a 
service  done  to  the  King,  and  makes  the  King's  spirit  the 
ruling  power  in  all  His  subjects. 

This  petition  gives  tlie  social  side  of  religion  a  very 
prominent  place  in  the  thought  and  purpose  of  the 
Church,  as  it  has  in  her  Lord.  Social  interest  rather 
than  self-interest  should  rule  in  the  Church  among  the 
members  in  their  relations  to  each  other,  and  in  all  their 
relations  in  the  world  ;  they  are  not  only  saved  to  serve, 
their  salvation  is  the  new  spirit  of  service.  With  this 
prayer  in  her  heart  the  Church  must  lift  up  her  voice  of 
persuasive  love  in  i)leading  that  the  teachings  of  Christ 
shall  govern  the  internal  laws  and  social  conditions  of 
Christian   states   and   their  relations   with   each    other. 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  183 

With  this  prayer  on  her  lips  and  shining  in  her  loving 
life,  the  Christian  Church  must  seek  to  bind  together 
labor  and  capital  in  mutual  justice  and  love,  the  rich  and 
the  poor  in  respecting  and  helping  each  other  ;  nmst  lift 
up  the  ignorant  and  downtrodden  and  fallen;  must  min- 
ister to  the  sick  and  the  prisoner,  and  must  give  each 
child  a  chance  and  a  training  to  be  a  good  man  or  woman. 
With  this  prayer  on  her  lips,  the  Church  shows  in  her 
life,  as  well  as  in  her  teachings,  that  the  first  need  of 
Society  is  the  right  relation  of  man  to  God  ;  the  very  act 
of  establishing  this  brings  men  into  right  relations  with 
one  another ;  loyalty  to  her  King  is  loyalty  to  One  who 
is  at  the  same  time  Son  of  God  and  Son  of  Man.  Her 
worship  of  God  and  her  service  of  man  interblend  and 
strengthen  each  other. 

But  this  great  petition  sweeps  beyond  the  bounds  of 
Christian  civilization  and  takes  in  all  the  pagan  lands. 
The  world  is  now  very  small.  The  power  of  steam  and 
the  electric  current  have  made  nations  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  earth  near  neighbors ;  they  know  each  other's 
needs  and  influence  each  other's  lives.  So,  by  the  influ- 
ence of  Christian  civilization,  there  has  come  a  marvelous 
turning  to  the  light  in  heathen  lands.  The  spring  comes 
even  to  our  cellars,  and  roots  stored  there  begin  to  sprout ; 
so  we  bring  them  out  and  plant  them  in  the  warm  sun- 
light, and  they  feel  the  full  springtide  of  life.  Besides, 
the  Christian  Church,  loyal  to  her  Lord,  sends  the  light  of 
His  Gospel  into  the  darkest  parts  of  heathendom,  where 
the  imaided  glimmer  of  civilization  has  not  penetrated. 
On  the  map  of  the  world  we  mark  Christian  lands  in 
bright  colors  and  heathen  lands  in  dark,  both  of  various 
shadings.     Much  still  remains  very  dark,  but  here  and 


1 84  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

there  are  spots  of  light,  where  missionaries  have  estab- 
lislied  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and  all  along  the  borders 
and  coasts  and  spreading  inward  there  is  a  lessening  of 
the  darkness,  a  dawning  of  the  light  of  the  Kingdom. 
Prophecy  speaks  of  a  coming  day  when  the  knowledge 
of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth,  when  all  men  shall 
serve  Him,  when  His  Kingdom  shall  be  over  all.  This 
petition  is  for  this  coming  Kingdom,  that  missionaries  of 
the  cross  may  establish  the  Kingdom  over  the  whole 
earth,  and  that  Christian  nations  shall  be  so  Christian  in 
all  their  acts  and  influence  that  human  Society  in  all  lands 
shall  be  swayed  by  the  spirit  of  the  King. 

The  Christian  Church  has  not  yet  put  forth  all  her 
strength  in  the  missionary  work,  and,  alas!  Christian 
nations  do  not  yet  put  forth  a  purely  Christian  influence. 
]S"ot  only  in  the  heat  of  warfare,  as  recently  in  China, 
have  cruelty,  lust,  and  greed  been  occasionally  thrust  into 
prominence,  but  in  the  pursuits  of  peaceful  commerce 
greed  and  thoughtless  cruelty  have  sent  opium  and  rum 
and  firearms  steadily  wherever  profit  could  be  gained  for 
the  merchant,  without  a  thought  of  the  welfare  of  nations 
having  little  self-control. 

But  there  is  a  growing  public  opinion  in  the  Church 
and  in  the  State  in  line  with  the  petition  of  the  prayer — 
an  enlightened  Christian  sentiment  gathering  force  to 
restrain  and  expel  the  vices  remaining  in  Christian  civili- 
zation, and  to  fill  the  Church  with  the  spirit  of  her  Lord, 
yearning  to  save. 

Thus  when  we  pray  "Thy  Kingdom  come,"  as  in- 
structed by  our  Lord,  we  have  something  of  His  vision  of 
the  coming  Society  over  all  the  earth  when  all  men  shall 
regard  God  as  their  Father  and  themselves  as  brothers. 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  185 

The  vision  of  our  Lord  lias  ever  been  larger  than  that 
of  His  praying  people,  since  He  sees  farther  and  loves 
wider  than  they.  The  prayer  has  ascended  to  the  throne 
from  the  heart  of  every  child  of  God,  and  from  the  whole 
Church  in  all  ages,  and  the  answer  has  been  in  the  line 
of  the  Savior's  vision. 

The  early  disciples  prayed  "  Thy  Kingdom  come  "  as 
they  preached  the  Gospel  in  the  heathenism  of  Greece 
and  Rome,  but  they  could  not  have  seen  the  conditions 
prevailing  to-day,  which  must  have  been  open  to  our 
Savior's  vision,  the  results  of  generation  after  generation 
of  gradual  but  blessed  change,  in  lifting  up  womanhood 
and  childhood,  in  caring  for  the  poor  and  unfortunate,  in 
destroying  slavery,  in  mitigating  the  horrors  of  war,  and 
frowning  upon  war  itself,  in  promoting  peace  among 
nations,  and  righteousness  and  a  growing  generosity 
among  all  classes  of  men. 

"Thy  Kingdom  come"  prayed  Augustin  as  he  carried 
the  Gospel  to  England,  Willebord  in  Holland,  Boniface 
in  Germany ;  and  their  lives  of  self-sacrificing  labors 
were  in  the  line  of  their  prayer,  but  they  could  never 
have  foreseen,  what  must  have  been  clear  to  the  Savior's 
vision,  the  results  of  generation  after  generation  of 
gradual  but  blessed  change,  as  those  nations,  having 
many  strong  native  qualities,  have  emerged  from  cruel 
barbarism  until  they  now  stand  in  the  van  of  the  world's 
Christian  civilization. 

With  the  experience  of  nineteen  centuries  to  illumine 
the  meaning  of  Christ's  teachings  of  His  Kingdom,  we 
now  take  up  this  petition,  "  Thy  Kingdom  come,"  and 
our  vision  widens  as  we  pray. 

May  Thy  Kingdom  come  to  the  individuals,  to  my 


i86  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

heart  and  life,  and  my  neighbors'.  May  its  principles 
rule  in  our  homes,  displacing  selfishness ;  in  our  business, 
making  it  a  service  of  our  fellow  men ;  in  our  social  life, 
making  it  the  culture  of  general  well-being. 

May  Thy  Kingdom  come  to  the  Church,  making  it 
pure  in  worshiping  God,  the  ideal  brotherhood  among 
men,  and  having  an  enthusiastic  love  for  humanity. 

May  Thy  Kingdom  come  to  our  E'ation.  May  she 
entertain  no  policy  that  will  not  bear  the  light  of  the 
Kingdom.  May  slie  give  herself  up  not  to  self-aggran- 
dizement, but  to  the  service  of  the  world. 

May  Thy  Kingdom  come  to  the  world.  May  the 
Church  send  out  her  missionaries  into  all  lands,  and  may 
Christian  nations  lift  up  the  weak  nations  into  the  obe- 
dience to  Christ,  until  "righteousness,  peace,  and  joy  in 
the  Holy  Ghost "  shall  j)revail  in  all  the  earth. 


"THY   WILL  BE  DOISTE  ON  EAETH  AS  IT  IS 
IJ^  HEAYEX." 


Matt,  vi :  10 


The  province  of  the  will  is  to  choose  the  good,  as  the 
province  of  the  intellect  is  to  discern  the  true.  Man  has 
made  so  many  mistakes  in  both  respects,  has  found  that 
false  which  he  thought  was  true,  and  that  evil  which  he 
chose  as  good,  that  the  conclusion  arises,  some  disorder 
has  possession  of  his  faculties.  The  worst  feature  of 
this  disorder  of  the  will  is  that  man  often  persists  in 
choosing  as  good  that  which  he  has  found  to  be  evil ; 
this  we  call  wilfulness.  When  a  wise  father  finds  this  in 
his  child  he  endeavors  to  correct  it ;  w^ien  he  finds  it  in 
his  own  nature  he  may  well  bring  it  to  his  heavenly 
Father  for  His  correction.  Though  limited  in  our 
powders,  we  have  the  conception  of  a  being  of  unlimited 
excellencies.  Our  Father  in  Heaven  never  makes  mis- 
takes. He  always  discerns  the  true.  He  always  chooses 
the  good.  The  will  of  God,  as  revealed  to  us,  makes* 
known  what  infinite  wisdom,  and  goodness  choose  for  us. 
It  is  proper  that  He  who  made  the  world  should  govern 
it ;  His  interest  in  His  creatures  is  the  greatest  conceiv- 
able ;  His  choice  for  them  is  the  best  possible  law  of 
their  existence. 

The  child  of  the  heavenly  Father,  the  reverent  wor- 
shiper of  the  holy  God,  the  loyal  subject  of  the  great 
King,  may  well  pray,  "  Thy  will  be  done." 

The  will  of  God,  as  we  contemplate  it,  has  at  least 

187 


i88  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

three  distinct  manifestations,  expressed  by  the  phrases, 
"  It  must  be,"  "  It  can  be,"  and  "  It  onght  to  be."  These 
distinctions  are  in  our  own  minds  rather  than  in  the  will 
of  God  itself,  in  our  finite  way  of  looking  at  an  infinite 
subject.  The  burden  of  this  petition  has  reference  to 
the  "  It  ought  to  be,"  though  it  fully  acquiesces  in  the 
"  It  must  be,"  and  seeks  to  follow  the  ''  It  can  be,"  confi- 
dent that  in  all  respects  the  will  of  the  holy  heavenly 
Father  is  always  good,  and  that  its  great  design  is  the 
establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  the  Kingdom  of 
Righteousness,  Peace,  and  Joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  "It  must  be"  is  revealed  to  us  in  the  material 
universe.  The  will  of  God  is  the  force  working  in  nat- 
ural laws.  Material  elements,  wherever  we  find  tliem, 
act  in  their  mutual  relations  according  to  well-defined 
and  fixed  laws.  Science,  by  its  faithful  reading  of  the 
Book  of  Nature,  is  ever  widening  its  knowledge  of  law, 
and  has  detected  its  presence  where  the  unlearned  saw 
only  caprice,  and  where  the  pious  unlearned  saw  God 
acting  independently.  God  is  still  acting  more  majestic- 
ally through  law,  determining  every  fitful  breeze  and 
every  forming  cloud.  God  is  the  author  of  law;  His 
will  endows  matter  with  force  and  ordains  the  mode  of 
its  operation.  He  says  "  It  must  be"  to  every  atom  that 
exists,  whether  in  the  farthest  fixed  star  or  in  the  ground 
under  our  feet.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  however,  that 
these  forces  and  laws  become  more  complicated  in  their 
relations  and  operations  the  closer  they  come  to  man. 
His  power  of  foreseeing  events  is  smallest  where  he  has 
most  interest  and  control,  where  the  "It  can  be"  meets 
and  blends  with  "  It  must  be."  He  can  tell  in  what  con- 
stellation of  the  heavens  the  sun  will  be  a  thousand  years 


THE  LORD  'S  PRA  YER.  189 

lience  to  the  hour,  but  he  caunot  tell  in  what  condition 
the  human  being  dearest  to  Hiui  will  be  to-morrow,  or 
what  will  be  His  own  healtli  an  hour  hence. 

The  ''It  must  be"  is  also  manifest  in  the  history  of 
the  human  race.  The  atom  in  tlie  material  universe  has 
no  powder  to  disobey  the  will  of  God.  God  has  willed 
that  man,  His  creature,  should  be  a  free  moral  agent, 
that  he  should  have  the  power  of  will  in  his  own  nature ; 
but  He  has  not  willed  that  man,  by  antagonizing  his  will 
to  God's  will,  should  thereby  pass  beyond  God's  control. 
Herein  lies  a  mystery  to  our  limited  powers.  God  over- 
rules man's  sinful  will  to  carry  out  His  ow^n  good  will. 
In  the  history  of  mankind,  within  the  horizon  of  our 
view,  we  see  much  wrong  and  misery  with  many  signs  of 
growing  righteousness  and  happiness.  Good  has  a  ten- 
dency to  overcome  evil ;  there  is  an  evolution  from  the 
low  to  a  higher  condition ;  there  are  throes  and  struggles, 
but  a  general  passing  on  and  up.  There  is  a  general 
advance  toward  the  good,  gradual  it  often  is,  subject  fre- 
quently to  decline,  but  all  the  more  wonderful  that  the 
current  is  ever  forward.  One  is  glad  he  lives  to-day 
rather  than  in  any  past  age.  One  is  confident  the  future 
will  be  still  better.  There  are  bright  foregleams  of  the 
coming  Kingdom.  Wicked  nations  drink  the  cup  of 
retribution,  wliile  nations  learning  righteousness  prosper 
according  to  their  virtues.  The  nation  that  lives  for 
luxury  and  power,  dies.  The  nation  that  lives  to  minister 
to  the  weaker  nations,  flourishes.  There  is  a  philosophy 
of  history.  Througli  war  and  peace,  famine  and  plenty, 
pestilence  and  health,  order  and  confusion,  in  the  preser- 
vation and  advance  of  the  race,  there  is  abundant  evi- 
dence of  a  presiding  will.     There  is  a  hand  upon   the 


190  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

helm  of  this  world's  affairs.     There  is  an  "It  must  be" 
ill  the  life  of  mankind. 

The  hand  that  rules  is  all  powerful.  If  all  men  should 
combine  to  resist  His  purpose  it  would  be  in  vain.  He 
makes  rebellion  itself  an  instrument  to  accomplish  His 
will.  While  we  cannot  hopefully  resist,  there  is  no  need 
that  we  should  fear.  It  is  not  blind,  relentless  fate,  but 
the  hand  of  infinite  wisdom  and  love  that  is  upon  the 
helm.  Our  heavenly  Father,  our  holy  God,  our  great 
King  wills,  and  we  may  trustingly  say,  "  Thy  will  be 
done." 

Now  the  subject  comes  very  close  to  each  one  of  us, 
for  it  is  quite  evident  there  is  a  very  large  "  It  must  be  " 
in  each  individual  life.  We  see  it  in  our  heredity  ;  not 
only  our  parentage  for  several  generations  back,  but  our 
race  parentage,  determines  very  largely  our  physical 
form,  mental  qualities,  moral  dispositions,  and  general 
welfare.  We  see  it  in  our  environment.  It  makes  a 
great  difference  in  the  life  whether  one  was  born  in 
Peking  or  in  ]N"ew  York  ;  in  the  dying  civilization  of 
pagan  Rome  or  in  the  growing  light  of  our  present 
Christian  civilization ;  in  the  country  or  in  the  city ;  on 
the  Avenue  or  in  the  slums.  But  here,  too,  the  indi- 
vidual will  is  to  be  considered  ;  for  God  has  blended  for 
the  race  and  the  individual  the  "  It  can  be  "  with  the 
"  It  must  be  "  when  He  gave  man  a  will  in  the  constitu- 
tion of  his  nature.  Heredity  and  environment,  while 
powerful,  are  not  controlling  factors  when  man's  will, 
acting  with  God's  will,  chooses  the  "  It  can  be." 

Here,  too,  our  petition  has  reverent  submission  blended 
with  glad  aspiration.  The  nature  and  circumstances  of 
our  lives  are  accepted  as  the  will  of  our  heavenly  Father, 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER, 


191 


while  we  strive  to  catch  His  plan  for  us  and  to  attain  to 
what  He  would  have  us  become,  cheerfully  and  faithfully 
fulfilling  the  conditions  in  life,  and  allying  ourselves 
heartily  with  the  good  in  the  advance  of  mankind,  and 
praying  that  all  men  may  take  this  course. 

Within  the  limits  marked  out  by  the  "  It  must  be  "  of 
God  there  is  a  very  large  sphere  of  the  "  It  can  be," 
in  which  He  gives  to  the  human  will  the  opportunity 
and  incentive  of  enlarging  its  powers  and  improving 
its  conditions.  Four  hundred  years  ago  the  Indians 
possessed  this  land.  The  "  It  must  be  "  seemed  to  limit 
their  lives  to  hunting  and  fishing,  giving  them  much 
happiness  and  developing  many  noble  traits,  but  still 
affording  only  a  low  and  narrow  life.  But  the  land 
and  the  climate  were  the  same  then  as  now — the  same 
fertile  prairies  and  hillsides,  the  same  mountains,  rich 
with  coal  and  iron  and  gold,  the  same  broad  streams  and 
great  lakes.  The  "  It  must  be  "  was  not  so  narrow  as  it 
seemed  to  the  Indian  mind ;  it  contained  all  the  "  It  can 
be  "  which  has  led  on  the  white  man  through  three  cen- 
turies of  progress  to  the  present  richness  and  fulness  of 
life. 

We  find  it  impossible  to  take  in  all  the  details  of  God's 
plans  in  our  dim  vision,  but  we  see  enough  to  know  that 
both  in  our  limitations  and  in  our  opportunities,  both  in 
the  "  It  must  be"  and  in  the  "  It  can  be,"  there  is  the 
wisdom  and  goodness  of  our  heavenly  Father  seeking 
our  welfare.  Sometimes  it  is  true  great  hardships  fall 
upon  a  few,  and  the  will  of  God  seems  heartless ;  but 
looking  out  and  afar  off,  taking  in  the  greatest  scope 
our  thoughts  can  compass,  we  see  that  the  will  of 
God  is  good,  and  beyond  our  horizon,  we  believe,  is  the 


192  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

infinity  of  His  wisdom  and  love.  In  a  still  niglit  of  fog 
the  great  steamship  City  of  Paris  crashed  upon  a  sharp 
ledge  of  rock  on  the  coast  of  England.  The  captain 
thought  he  was  out  in  the  deep  channel ;  he  had  not 
made  sufficient  allowance  for  the  drifting  of  a  current 
toward  the  rock.  Fog,  currents,  rocks,  and  the  loss  of  a 
great  steamship,  and  many  precious  lives  endangered. 
How  hard  is  nature  !  But,  hold  !  See  the  seamanship, 
the  noble  British  and  American  manhood,  that  has  been 
developed  by  battling  with  the  dangers  of  the  deep. 
Hold,  again  !  There  is  but  a  little  fog  in  a  great  world 
of  sunshine,  but  a  small  current  toward  the  rocks  in  a 
wide  ocean.  Hold,  again  !  This  little  fog  and  small 
current  are  themselves  slight  incidents  in  the  great  cur- 
rent  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  which  brings  the  warmth  of 
the  tropics  to  make  pleasant  and  fruitful  the  north  of 
Europe.  Take  away  the  cause  of  the  fog  and  the  cur- 
rent, and  you  take  away  the  summer  from  England  and 
leave  only  a  frozen,  barren  isle.  God's  will  is  not  so 
much  the  wreck  of  the  City  of  Paris  as  the  fruitfulness 
of  England  and  its  strong  manhood. 

The  spirit  of  this  petition  includes  both  a  patient  sub- 
mission to  our  limitations  and  a  cheerful  facing  of  our 
opportunities.  We  are  often  called  to  suffer  with  resig- 
nation, we  are  more  often  called  to  discover  the  cause  of 
our  sufferings  and  to  remove  it.  We  bow  to  the  "  It 
must  be,"  we  listen  intently  to  hear  the  "  It  can  be,"  as 
we  pray  "  Thy  will  be  done." 

A  few  years  ago,  at  the  close  of  the  summer,  several 
fair  Southern  cities  suffered  from  the  scourge  of  the  yel- 
low fever ;  it  had  been  brought  to  them  from  Cuba,  and 
it  threatened  to  spread  over  the  land.     There  was  a  great 


THE  LORD'S   PRAYER,  193 

wave  of  charity  awakened  among  all  the  people,  and  phy- 
sicians and  nurses,  with  all  the  help  that  poured-out 
wealth  could  give,  were  drawn  to  the  stricken  cities. 
Christian  charity  not  only  ministered  freely,  but  Christian 
faith  prayed  that  God  would  send  the  frost  to  check  the 
fever.  Some  ridiculed  the  prayer;  a  godless  scientist 
said,  "  One  might  as  well  pray  to  God  to  build  a  saw- 
mill." Of  course  the  small  schoolboy  could  answer  that 
scoif:  "God  never  builds  sawmills,  but  He  does  send 
frosts."  And  at  length  the  frost  came  and  checked  the 
fever.  Then  Christian  wisdom  sought  to  learn  the  cause 
of  the  scourge  and  to  destroy  it,  and  now  the  fair  South- 
ern cities  have  a  better  sewer  system ;  and  during  our 
occupation  of  Cuba  the  sanitary  sewer  system  has  been 
applied  to  Havana,  and  now,  with  a  quickened  intelli- 
gence and  watchfulness  among  the  people,  we  expect  to 
be  exempt  from  yellow  fever.  We  have  tried  to  adapt 
ourselves  to  the  "  It  can  be  "  of  God's  will,  and  we  know 
that  His  will  is  for  health,  not  for  sickness. 

The  scourge  in  the  city  was  not  God's  first  choice ;  His 
first  choice  is  health,  conditioned  on  obedience  to  the 
laws  of  nature — His  will.  The  petition,  therefore,  is 
that  God  will  help  us  to  do  His  will  rather  than  make  us 
suffer  it.  The  traveler  in  the  Alps  hears  a  noise  above 
him,  and,  looking  up,  sees  the  rush  of  the  avalanche. 
Shall  he  say,  "  It  is  the  will  of  God,"  and  stand  still  in  its 
path  ?  No ;  the  noise  is  His  warning — the  will  of  God 
telling  him  to  seek  safety  in  the  cleft  of  the  rock.  God's 
will  in  the  laws  of  health  is  evidently  the  well-being  of 
obedience.  If  dyspepsia  threatens  we  are  not  languidly 
to  submit,  but  to  correct  our  diet  and  habits,  and  so  come 
into  harmony  with  God's  will.     To  find  the  "It  can  be" 


194  I^HE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

is  in  the  spirit  of  tliis  petition  as  well  as  to  submit  to  the 
"  It  must  be,"  to  cultivate  more  grit  and  less  resignation, 
to  honor  God  by  striving  to  learn  and  do,  as  much  as  by 
bearing.  His  holy  will. 

While  we  should  never  substitute  a  submissive  spirit 
for  an  obedient  one,  it  is  still  a  blessed  truth  that  in  our 
lot  of  limitation,  disease,  and  death  we  may  honor  God 
as  much  by  bearing  as  by  doing  His  holy  will.  The 
blind  Milton  could  sing  "  They  also  serve  who  only  stand 
and  wait."  From  many  a  bed  of  suffering,  by  many  an 
open  grave,  with  tear-filled  eyes  and  choking  voice,  we 
pray,  "  Thy  will  be  done."  Our  hopes  and  plans  are 
broken,  the  fair  castles  we  have  builded  along  the  avenue 
of  our  future  come  down  with  a  crash,  and  from  the 
ruins  we  pray,  "Thy  will  be  done."  Our  plans  are 
broken,  but  not  our  spirits.  We  are  the  children  of  God, 
and  His  plans  are  better  than  ours ;  let  us  find  them  and 
rejoice  in  them.  The  sharpest  sting  in  many  a  "  disap- 
pointment" is  taken  away  by  the  change  of  a  single  let- 
ter in  the  word,  making  it  "His  appointment." 

The  will  of  God  is  one.  The  distinctions  in  our 
thought,  as  we  have  already  seen,  interblend,  and  we 
have  now  reached  the  stage  where  we  can  see  that  the 
"It  must  be"  and  the  "It  can  be"  are  but  parts  of  the 
"  It  ought  to  be,"  that  the  limitations  and  possibilities  of 
our  lot  are  conditioned  upon  our  moral  character.  Man, 
\\\Q  being  with  a  will,  has  a  tendency  to  ignore  and  resist 
God's  will ;  the  evils  of  his  lot  come  largely  from  this 
tendency,  and  the  remedy  for  sin  and  misery  is  the  com- 
plete establishment  of  God's  will.  The  petition,  "Thy 
will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  Heaven,"  means  the 
banishment  of  sin  and  misery  from  this  earthly  existence. 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  195 

and  the  complete  enthronement  of  the  "  It  ought  to  be" 
in  the  wilUng  hearts  of  mankind. 

There  is  this  quality  about  the  "It  ought  to  be":  it 
demands  a  hearing  of  the  soul,  it  is  the  voice  of  God,  and 
is  recognized  as  such.  This  shows  the  dignity  and  worth 
of  man ;  there  is  that  in  him  that  hears  the  "  It  ought  to 
be"  of  God,  the  soul  that  recognizes  the  voice  of  God. 
Material  atoms  respond  to  the  "It  must  be,"  even  to  the 
"  It  can  be,"  and  come  out  from  chaos  through  successive 
stages  of  order,  until  the  fair  earth,  teeming  with  many 
forms  of  life,  comes  into  existence ;  but  it  is  only  the 
being  created  in  His  own  likeness  that  can  respond  to 
the  "It  ought  to  be"  of  God's  voice.  Order  is  Heaven's 
first  law,  and  man  looks  out  from  the  little  dark  ball  of 
the  earth  upon  the  constellations  of  countless  blazing 
suns  in  the  immensity  of  space,  seeing  everywhere  the 
"It  must  be"  pulsating  from  the  throne  of  the  Eternal, 
and  bows  in  awe,  feeling  his  littleness.  Then  he  hears  a 
voice  in  his  soul  which  all  the  world  cannot  hear,  the  "  It 
ought  to  be"  of  God,  and  man,  who  walks  the  earth,  is 
lifted  at  once  into  a  dignity  and  worth  greater  than  all 
earths  and  all  stars. 

He  recognizes,  also,  that  he  only  walks  worthy  of  his 
being  when  he  follows  that  voice,  when  his  will  agrees 
with  God's  will;  then  he  walks  with  God.  The  highest 
possible  for  him  is  to  choose  the  choice  of  God.  In  the 
scales  of  choice,  in  the  supreme  hours  of  his  soul,  only 
one  thing  should  have  any  weight.  Not  place,  or  power, 
or  pleasure,  or  riches,  or  learning — only  the  "  It  ought  to 
be."  If  this  sways  him,  he  is  kingly;  aught  else,  or  all 
else,  makes  him  mean.  The  great  command,  "  Love 
God  supremely  and  your  fellow  as  yourself;"  the  great 


196  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

call,  "Kepent;"  the  great  invitation,  "Trust  in  Christ, 
love  Him  and  grow  like  Him" — tliese  have  the  force  of 
the  "It  ought  to  be''  to  the  listening  soul.  One  may 
answer,  "It  is  too  exacting  and  difficult,"  or  "I  am  as 
good  as  others,"  or  "I  do  not  want  to;"  but  no  one  can 
ever  say,  "I  ought  not  to  be  a  Christian." 

There  is  this  further  quality  about  the  "  It  ought  to 
be  " :  when  it  is  disobeyed  by  the  free  choice  of  the  soul, 
it  at  once  calls  the  "  It  must  be  "  to  deal  with  that  soul. 
The  first  feature  of  its  dealing  is  tliat  by  the  nature  of 
the  case  the  soul  is  at  once  separated  from  God.  By  its 
own  free  act  it  goes  away  from  Him — the  choice  is  not  to 
walk  with  God,  but  in  its  own  way ;  the  will  of  man 
separates  itself  from  the  will  of  God.  The  "  It  ought  not 
to  be,"  chosen  by  man,  separates  him  from  God,  who 
always  chooses  the  "  It  ought  to  be." 

The  second  result  of  disobedience  enforced  by  the  "  It 
must  be,"  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  is  wilfulness;  the 
man's  heart  is  hardened.  There  are  two  striking  cases  of 
hardening  of  the  heart  in  the  Scri^Dtures.  It  is  said  of 
Pliaraoh,  God  hardened  his  heart.  Pharaoh  hardened 
his  heart,  and  the  fact  is  simply  stated — his  heart  was 
hardened.  When  we  read  the  account  we  find  God's 
action  fully  described.  He  gave  him  just  commands, 
He  threatened  punishment ;  upon  his  repentance  He 
extended  mercy.  We  find  Pharaoh's  action  fully  de- 
scribed. He  disobeyed  tlie  commands ;  when  punished, 
he  repented  and  promised  obedience ;  when  mercy  was 
extended,  he  abused  that  mercy  by  renewed  disobe- 
dience. By  the  laws  of  his  nature,  by  such  action,  abus- 
ing the  goodness  of  God,  Pharaoh  hardened  his  heart. 
But  these  laws   were  the  "It  must  be"    of   God.     By 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  197 

their  action  God  hardened  liis  heart — his  heart  was 
hardened. 

The  second  case  fully  described  in  the  Scriptures  is 
that  of  the  Jews.  Here,  too,  Ave  find  God's  action  fully 
described.  He  gave  righteous  commands ;  He  threatened 
and  inflicted  punishment.  Upon  repentance  He  extended 
mercy;  this  w^as  continued  tln^ough  ages.  He  sent 
proj^hets;  He  sent  His  own  Sou.  We  find  the  action  of 
the  Jews  fully  described.  They  disobeyed  the  com- 
mands, abused  the  mercy,  rejected  the  j)rophets,  at  length 
crucified  the  Son  of  God.  By  such  action,  according  to 
the  laws  of  human  nature,  abusing  the  goodness  of  God, 
they  hardened  their  hearts.  But  these  laws  are  the  "  It 
must  be"  of  God.  It  is  inevitable;  by  the  laws  of  our 
nature,  by  the  "It  must  be"  of  God,  disobedience  to  the 
"It  ought  to  be"  hardens  the  heart. 

The  third  result  of  disobedience  to  the  "  It  ought  to 
be"  is  that  man  thereby  opposes  himself  to  the  whole 
framework  and  constitution  of  things.  He  is  in  God's 
universe  and  out  of  harmony  with  it,  since  he  is  out  of 
harmony  with  God.  The  "It  ought  to  be"  being 
broken,  the  "It  must  be"  in  his  own  nature  and  in  all 
nature  weighs  heavily  upon  man.  This  punishment  of 
sin  exists  in  time,  and  must  exist  while  the  laws  of  man's 
being  and  the  universe  continue  to  exist.  A  man  may 
break  the  law  of  a  college,  even  be  expelled  from  it,  and 
still  recover  himself  in  life.  He  may  break  the  law  of  a 
nation,  and,  flying  beyond  its  borders,  still  have  much  of 
the  world  to  live  in,  with  many  avenues  of  life  open  to 
him.  He  may  even  break  a  law  of  humanity,  the  will  of 
mankind,  and,  flying  to  some  lone  isle  of  the  sea,  still 
have  much  of  life  left  to  him.     But  he  who  breaks  the 


198  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER, 

law  of  his  being,  the  will  of  God,  cannot  fly,  either  in 
time  or  space,  beyond  the  "It  must  be"  of  God. 

It  at  once  becomes  plain  that  the  only  rescue  of  man 
from  the  "It  must  be"  bearing  heavily  upon  his  disobe- 
dience is  the  reestablishment  of  the  "It  ought  to  be"  in 
his  heart  and  life.  The  Christian  religion  is  not  seeking 
to  be  saved  from  the  consequences  of  disobedience  merely 
or  even  mainly;  it  aims  at  the  true  salvation  from  sin,  it 
seeks  to  understand  and  obey  the  will  of  God.  He  who 
trusts  the  Savior  and  lovingly  follows  Him  has  more  and 
more  of  His  spirit,  which  delights  in  the  will  of  God ;  he 
grows  in  harmony  with  his  lot  in  life  and  his  opportuni- 
ties. His  soul  becomes  more  sensitive  and  responsive  to 
the  indications  of  God's  will,  and  thus  he  comes  into  fel- 
lowship with  God — walks  with  Him.  That  which  is  the 
hope  of  the  individual  believer  in  Christ  is  the  only  hope 
of  the  race  of  mankind.  We  may  not  clearly  understand 
many  things  about  the  "It  must  be"  and  the  "It  can 
be,"  but  there  is  no  need  to  disagree  or  fail  to  under- 
stand the  "It  ought  to  be;"  the  line  of  our  duty  lies 
plainly  open  to  our  feet. 

A  very  high  standard  of  obedience  is  lifted  up  by  our 
Savior  in  this  petition :  "  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it 
is  in  Heaven."  "How  do  the  angels  obey?"  asked  a 
mother  of  her  child.  "  Without  asking  questions,"  was 
the  wise  answer.  Tlie  strong  angels  and  the  glorified 
saints  have  such  confidence  in  God's  good- will  that  they 
obey  without  question  or  fear  of  consequence — promptly, 
heartily,  constantly,  universally.  Introduce  this  spirit  on 
the  earth,  and  you  have  the  heroism  of  godly  contentment. 
We  are  in  God's  hands,  and  have  utmost  confidence  in 
Him.    We  will  obey  Him,  as  they  obey  in  Heaven,     If 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  199 

God's  will  is  done  by  us  we  may  cheerfully  cousent  that 
it  shall  be  done  in  us  and  upon  us.  Paul,  Luther,  and 
many  a  heroic  sufferer  on  a  sick-bed,  as  well  as  leader  in 
the  world's  activities,  have  thus  prayed  and  lived.  What 
are  our  positions  in  life  and  our  tasks  compared  with  the 
spirit  of  doing  God's  will?  If  God  w^ere  to  send  two 
angels  to  earth,  one  to  occupy  a  throne,  the  other  to  clean 
a  road,  the  will  of  God  would  be  the  sole  thought  in  each 
heart. 

Brow^ning  makes  the  Archangel  Gabriel  take  the  poor 
boy's  place,  and  we  instinctively  feel  the  truth  of  his 
description : 

"Then  to  his  poor  trade  he  turned 
By  which  the  daily  bread  was  earned, 
And  ever  o'er  the  trade  he  bent, 
And  ever  lived  on  earth  content. 
He  did  (Jod's  will:  to  him  all  one 
If  on  the  earth  or  in  the  sun." 

Not  only  this,  but  the  mysteries  and  hardships  of  our 
lot  are  taken  up  and  made  a  part  of  God's  great  plan  for 
the  world,  and  we  are  praying  the  best  possible  prayer 
for  our  race  of  mankind  when  we  say  "  Thy  will  bo 
done"  unchecked,  unburdened — as  it  is  done  in  Heaven. 

At  night,  in  a  great  storm  on  the  ocean,  the  passenger 
lies  in  his  narrow  berth,  sleepless,  sick,  and  fearful,  hear- 
ing the  surge  of  the  water,  the  roar  of  the  wind,  the 
creaking  of  the  vessel.  Then  he  hears  the  watchman  o;i 
deck  shout  out  "All's  well !  "  There  is  a  higher  realm 
than  his  pain  and  fear.  The  captain  is  in  command  ;  all 
is  in  good  order ;  the  ship  is  triumphing  over  wind  and 
wave,  and  is  making  good  progress  homeward.  So  this 
earth,  with  its  race  of  mankind,  is  surging  through  storm 


200  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

and  stress ;  but  be  of  good  cheer,  there  is  a  hand  upon 
the  hehn.  "  All's  well ! "  It  is  the  hand  of  God.  The 
ideal  of  doing  God's  will  is  in  Heaven.  This  reveals  the 
nature  of  the  heavenly  life  to  ns ;  it  is  not  passive  enjoy- 
ment, but  active  blessedness — the  doing  of  God's  will. 
The  design  of  our  Savior  in  His  blessed  Gospel  is  to  give 
new  life,  the  life  of  obedience,  to  write  the  law  upon  our 
heart.  Thus  He  introduces  the  heavenly  spirit  into  our 
earthly  life,  and  thus  He  prepares  us  for  Heaven.  They 
only  can  hope  to  reach  Heaven  who  are  learning  to  do 
God's  will  here,  and  they  only  would  be  happy  there 
where  that  spirit  prevails ;  for  Heaven  is  only  a  possible 
and  a  desirable  place  for  those  who  are  learning  to  do 
God's  will,  who  sincerely  make  this  prayer. 


"GIYE  US   THIS   DAY   OUE  DAILY  BKEAD." 

Matt,  vi  :  11. 

Whence  come  the  harvests  of  golden  grain?  From 
the  rain  and  tlie  sunshine,  from  the  soil  and  the  air,  and 
from  that  mysterious  thing  we  call  ''life"  in  the  seed  of 
wheat.  Yes;  and  through  these  from  some  One  back  of 
them.  Back  of  the  days  of  sunlight  and  the  nights  of 
darkness,  beyond  the  rain  and  the  dew,  the  storm  and 
the  calm,  the  soil  beneath,  the  air  around,  and  the  over- 
hanging heavens,  beyond  the  life  treasured  up  in  the 
seed,  is  the  great  God  of  the  harvests ;  these  second  causes 
are  the  first  emergence  into  sight  of  His  unseen  power 
and  purpose.  The  rich  and  the  poor  are  alike  dependent 
upon  the  harvest  for  daily  bread.  The  rich  man  in  his 
palace  on  the  Avenue,  the  owner  of  lands  and  stocks  and 
ships,  surrounded  by  all  that  is  beautiful  and  rare,  is  as 
dependent  for  daily  bread  upon  the  harvests  of  the  earth 
as  the  poorest  man  that  tills  the  soil.  His  money  itself 
cannot  feed  him;  like  tlie  Oriental  story  of  the  man 
searching  for  mines  and  meeting  the  Goddess  of  the 
Mountains.  She  offered  him  whatever  he  wished.  The 
rash  man  said,  "Let  everything  I  touch  turn  to  gold." 
He  was  rich  in  an  instant  beyond  compare,  but  soon  died 
of  starvation,  for  the  food  he  touched  turned  to  gold. 
So  the  rich  man  in  his  palace  and  the  poor  man  in  his 
cottage  are  brothers  at  the  table  God  spreads.  The  care 
of  poverty  and  the  anxiety  of  riches  may  alike  dissolve 
in  this  daily  prayer. 

We  have  thus  far  found  great  depth  of  meaning  in 

20I 


202  THE  LORD*S  PRAYER, 

each  petition.  We  shall  find  a  surprising  depth  in  this; 
each  short  word  is  charged  with  thought  and  feeling  as 
we  breathe  it  forth  in  prayer. 

Consider  the  place  of  the  petition  in  the  Lord's  Prayer. 
It  has  a  place,  and  a  prominent  one.  Proper  regard  is 
paid  to  bodily  wants  in  the  prayer  the  Son  of  Man  taught 
His  brother  man.  We  are  not  to  ignore  the  bodily  life. 
The  highest  spiritual  life,  even  in  prayer,  does  not  neg- 
lect the  body.  But  while  it  has  a  prominent  place,  it  has 
but  one  place.  It  is  the  only  petition  of  its  kind  among 
several  petitions;  it  follows  important  spiritual  wants,  and 
leads  to  such  again.  We  are  not  to  idolize  the  body. 
The  materialism  and  sensualism  to  which  we  are  prone 
are  silently  rebuked.  The  spirit  that  makes  the  one 
object  of  life  to  secure  temporal  good  is  quietly  ignored 
by  the  True  Man. 

The  first  place  in  a  child's  desire  belongs  to  God  Him- 
self, and  now  as  the  child  brings  his  personal  wants  to 
tlie  Divine  heart  in  this  second  part  of  the  prayer  his  love 
for  and  confidence  in  God  voice  themselves  in  the  first 
word,  "  Give,"  and  in  the  following  petitions  in  the  kin- 
dred words,  "Forgive"  and  "Deliver."  The  holy  God, 
the  great  King,  the  ruling  Will,  our  Father  in  Heaven, 
may  be  confidently  asked  to  give,  to  forgive,  and  to 
deliver. 

The  Savior  teaches  us  to  regard  God  as  the  giver ;  this 
is  His  nature  and  His  relation  to  us.  Man  would  never 
have  supposed  this  to  be  the  nature  of  God ;  he  is  ever 
prone  to  imagine  Him  as  altogether  such  an  one  as  him- 
self. The  greatest  being  will  be  the  most  exacting.  He 
will  require  the  service  of  all  inferior  beings,  the  mere 
creatures  of  his  hand.     Wherever  nations  have  imagined 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  203 

gods  for  themselves,  sucli  has  been  their  character :  selfish 
gods,  like  unto  the  selfish  men  who  worshiped  them. 
Jesus  Christ  shows  us  that  God  is  just  the  reverse  of 
this.  True,  our  God,  revealed  in  Jesus  Christ,  demands 
tlie  supreme  love  of  man,  that  we  would  bring  all  our 
powers  into  His  service,  that  we  should  live  in  His  glorj. 
But  the  glory  of  the  Lord  is  not  grasping  to  Himself — the 
glory  of  the  whirlpool,  drawing  in  and  swallowing  down 
all  within  its  reach ;  rather  it  is  the  glory  of  the  sun,  ever 
pouring  forth  light  and  warmth  and  blessing.  The  glory 
of  God  is  giving.  All  our  powers  are  gifts  from  the 
great  Giver ;  His  enactments  simply  require  us  to  use 
His  gifts  in  the  best  way.  As  He  uses  all  His  powers  in 
blessing  others,  living  to  His  glory,  we  become  givers,  as 
He  is  the  great  Giver.  Even  His  restrictive  laws  are  rich 
gifts  to  us,  restraining  us  from  falling  into  the  depths  of 
selfishness,  like  the  railing  along  the  edge  of  a  precipice. 
Even  the  adoration  and  worship  we  give  Him,  our  pray- 
ers ascending  to  Him,  return  in  rich  blessings  upon  wait- 
ing souls,  as  the  vapors  of  the  earth  drawn  up  by  the  sun 
are  soon  poured  back  again  in  refreshing  dews  and  fruit- 
ful showers. 

The  few  simple  words  in  this  petition  teach  that  God 
is  not  only  the  great  Giver,  but  that  He  gives  in  such  a 
way  that  He  develops  manly  qualities  in  His  children, 
and  cultivates  also  in  them  the  spirit  of  ministering  to  the 
needs  of  their  fellow  men. 

The  child  spirit  voiced  and  cultivated  in  this  petition 
is  that  of  cheerful  and  trustful  dependence  upon  God. 
Man  is  an  animal  among  animals.  He  may  eat  his  food, 
as  they  do,  without  a  thought  of  its  source.  But  man  is 
more  than  an  animal ;  he  may  be  consciously  dependent 


204  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

upon  the  great  God  for  the  food  that  sustains  him  in  liv- 
ing. This  is  his  true  nobihty,  tliis  lifts  him  above  the 
animals.  All  are  dependent  upon  God  for  food,  he  alone 
can  be  conscious  of  it;  and,  more,  he  can  be  cheerfully 
and  trustfully  dependent  upon  God  the  heavenly  Father, 
and  in  this  he  recognizes  his  obligation  to  use  his  gifts 
in  serving,  and  feels  the  uplift  of  gratitude  to  the  great 
Giver. 

We  pray  for  "  daily  bread,"  such  food  as  we  need  for 
the  sustaining  of  our  lives  from  day  to  day,  for  the  main- 
tenance of  our  bodily  powers  in  their  highest  condition 
for  the  service  of  God.  In  the  simple  terms  of  the  peti- 
tion there  is  the  cultivation  of  the  child  spirit,  of  careful 
attention  and  faithful  obedience  to  the  laws  of  health,  of 
temperance  in  the  use  of  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  of  the 
practice  of  a  simple  and  wholesome  diet.  We  are  to  eat 
to  live,  not  live  to  eat.  We  are  to  use  the  appetites  in 
the  spirit  of  the  prayer,  for  the  welfare  of  our  bodily  life 
in  the  service  of  God  in  its  highest  efficiency.  The  epi- 
cure who  eats  to  give  pleasure  to  his  palate  tliat  which 
he  knows  will  injure  his  health  cannot  use  this  petition — 
it  is  not  a  prayer  for  poison,  but  for  bread.  The  glutton 
who  eats  so  much  that  his  body  is  sluggish — fit  for  sleep, 
but  not  for  work — cannot  use  this  prayer,  which  is  for 
daily — that  is,  for  sustaining — bread.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  ascetic  who  starves  his  body  to  the  verge  of 
life,  thinking  to  please  God  by  keeping  down  his  appe- 
tites and  passions  thereby,  is  out  of  harmony  with  the 
prayer,  which  is  for  the  food  to  sustain  the  full  life  in 
the  service  of  God. 

The  time  this  bread  is  asked  for  is  to-day.  In  the 
"this  day"  there  is  a  hint  of  the  uncertainty  of  life. 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  205 

To-day  may  be  the  limit  of  our  earthly  life ;  we  may  not 
need  bread  to-morrow.  There  is  more  than  a  hint  here 
of  the  need  of  daily  prayer.  We  are  taught  we  might 
as  well  go  a  day  without  food  as  a  day  without  prayer, 
and  surely  our  souls  are  in  as  great  and  as  constant  need 
as  our  bodies.  If  "  daily  bread "  taught  us  moderation 
in  use,  "  this  day "  teaches  us  moderation  in  desire,  the 
godly  contentment,  which  is  the  true  riches  of  the  child 
of  God.  The  lust  for  things  of  sense,  for  the  wealth  of 
the  world,  leads  a  man  to  enlist  all  his  thoughts  and  time 
in  their  eager  pursuit.  Translate  such  a  life  into  prayer, 
and  its  only  petition  would  be  "Give  me  a  fortune." 
Christ  says  to  him,  "Go  into  your  closet  and  pray  to 
your  heavenly  Father  for  the  sustaining  bread  you  need 
for  this  day,  that  your  time  and  energy  may  be  spent  in 
the  service  of  God  for  the  well-being  of  man." 

Forethought  and  thrift  are  not  forbidden  but  com- 
mended in  the  prayer  for  bread,  and  nature  confirms  the 
commendation.  We  gather  the  golden  grain  in  the  har- 
vest time  or  we  starve  in  the  winter.  The  harvests  of 
wheat  the  wide  earth  over  are  each  year  only  sufficient  to 
feed  the  population  of  the  whole  earth  for  about  one 
year,  and  a  third,  the  "  daily  bread,"  and  the  seed  for  the 
next  harvest,  with  a  small  provision  for  variation  of 
fruitfulness,  and  time  and  energy  must  be  given  for 
transportation  from  harvest-fields  to  hungry  centers  of 
population.  But  even  these  virtues  of  forethought  and 
thrift  are  liable  to  degenerate  into  the  vices  of  anxious 
and  selfish  hoarding,  and  so  we  are  reminded  that  man's 
life  consisteth,  not  in  the  abundance  of  his  possessions, 
but  in  the  cheerful  and  trustful  service  of  his  God. 
Christ's  warning  against  anxiety  for  the  morrow  is  here 


2o6  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER, 

expressed  in  the  constant  trust  of  the  child  in  the  great 
Giver,  the  heavenly  Father. 

Two  very  important  words  remain  for  us  to  consider, 
but  even  thus  far  this  concise  and  comprehensive  petition 
makes  provision  for  a  rich  and  full  life  of  man  upon 
earth  from  day  to  day.  Bread  is  the  main  part  put  for 
the  whole  of  the  food  he  needs  for  the  sustenance  of  his 
life  in  highest  efficiency.  Fruits  and  flowers,  as  w^ell  as 
grain,  are  the  gifts  of  God.  This  beautiful  and  fruitful 
earth  is  God's  way  of  sustaining  and  ministering  to  the 
life  of  His  children ;  the  table  He  spreads  is  bountiful 
with  food  and  adorned  with  beauty,  is  wholesome  and 
charming.  The  children  at  the  table  know  it  is  spread 
for  them  by  their  Father  in  Heaven ;  that  it  speaks  of 
His  constant  care  and  boundless  love ;  they  look  up  to 
Him  with  answering  love,  with  gratitude  and  cheerful 
trust.  Thus  they  come  into  fellowship  with  Him,  and 
every  daily  meal  becomes  a  table  of  companionship  of 
children  with  each  other  and  their  Father.  Thus,  also, 
receiving  strength  from  the  provision  of  His  bounty, 
they  strive  to  use  it  in  a  way  which  shall  honor  the  great 
Giver,  and  in  this  spirit  become  themselves  givers,  minis- 
tering to  the  welfare  of  their  fellow  men.  "  Life  abun- 
dantly "  is  here,  the  fulness  of  the  earthly  bodily  life,  and 
the  highest  culture  of  this  life  in  trust  toward  God  and 
in  service  of  man. 

There  is  one  word  in  this  petition  some  of  us  may 
have  passed  over  without  much  meditation,  still  it  has  a 
most  important  meaning — the  word  "our."  Why  did 
not  Christ  say,  "Give  us  this  day  daily  bread?"  Why 
did  He  insert  "  our  ? "  In  what  sense  can  God's  gifts  be 
ours  ?     It  can  only  be  in  the  way  He  gives  it.     God  gives 


THE  LORD 'S  PRA  YER. 


207 


US  bread  in  a  different  way  from  that  in  which  He  be- 
stows His  other  general  gifts — air,  light,  and  water. 

He  requires  us  to  labor  for  our  bread.  Wheat  does  not 
grow  as  weeds  do ;  it  must  be  cultivated.  Fruits  respond 
to  man's  culture  with  finer  quality  and  flavor.  Labor  for 
bread  is  the  ordinance  of  God  from  Adam  down,  and  the 
Apostle  Paul  states  it  boldly,  "  If  a  man  will  not  work, 
neither  should  he  eat,"  and  he  exhorts  men  to  work,  that 
they  may  eat  "their  own  bread."  Bread,  then,  becomes 
"ours,"  with  reference  to  our  fellow  men  and  to  God, 
only  when  we  earn  it.  Unless  we  labor  for  it  in  some 
way  or  other,  we  eat  not  our  own  but  our  neighbor's 
bread. 

In  this  single  word  of  the  petition,  then,  we  ask  God 
to  bless  us  in  earning  our  daily  bread.  But  it  is  "our," 
not  "my;"  so  each  one  prays,  not  only  for  himself, 
but  for  all  other  men — not  only  "Give  me  the  oppor- 
tunity to  earn  my  daily  bread,  but  give  all  other  men 
the  same."  This  single  word,  sincerely  and  devoutly 
used  by  all  men  daily,  would  soon  work  the  most  wonder- 
ful change  in  our  manner  of  living  in  this  the  highest  age 
of  the  world's  civilization,  making  it  far  more  worthy  the 
name  of  Christian.  Idlers  by  choice  would  be  stimulated 
to  labor,  and  idlers  by  force  would  find  abundant  oppor- 
tunity to  labor,  and  the  earth  would  respond  in  fruitful- 
ness  as  never  dreamed  of,  except  by  the  prophets  inspired 
of  God. 

The  word  "our"  cultivates  the  sentiment  of  seK-sup- 
port.  The  young,  the  aged,  and  the  sick  may  thankfully 
take  the  food  the  love  of  others  provides.  All  others 
should  earn  theirs  by  some  useful  labor  of  muscle,  brain, 
or  soul.     The  tendency  of  the  children  of  the  wealthy  to 


2o8  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

look  upon  all  kinds  of  work  as  ignoble  and  to  live  in  idle- 
ness is  rebuked  by  this  petition.  Many  wealthy  people 
are  captains  of  industry,  or  almoners  of  God's  bounty,  or 
ministering  angels  of  mercy,  and  have  the  satisfaction  of 
eating  "  their  own  bread ; "  but  those  living  in  idle  lux- 
ury eat  the  bread  of  others. 

The  word  "our"  encourages  us  to  live  within  our 
means.  If  to  emulate  our  neighbors  or  gratify  our  tastes 
we  incur  debts  for  luxurious  living  we  have  little  pros- 
pect of  paying,  we  virtually  pray,  "  Give  me  the  bread  of 
the  butcher,  and  the  storekeeper,  and  of  all  others  where 
I  can  run  up  bills."  The  whole  spirit  of  getting  some- 
thing for  nothing  debars  one  from  using  this  petition. 
Gambling,  whether  in  fun  or  in  earnest,  cannot  well  be 
imagined  as  being  frequently  in  the  closet  on  its  knees. 
To  bring  bread  from  the  harvest-field  to  the  consumer  is 
a  useful  calling ;  but  to  use  these  avenues  to  control  the 
market  and  force  the  price  of  bread  above  all  reasonable 
profit  for  raising  and  transporting,  to  corner  wheat,  which 
people  must  have  at  any  price,  or  the  means  of  transport- 
ing wheat,  is  not  earning  one's  daily  bread,  but  stealing 
it.  Much  of  what  is  known  as  speculation  in  stocks  and 
breadstuffs  may  be  sanctioned  in  Society  and  legalized 
by  the  State,  but  is  rather  an  awkward  subject  to  bring 
into  our  prayers. 

In  this  petition  we  ask  God  to  bless  our  ordinary  call- 
ing and  our  method  of  conducting  it ;  the  calling  itself 
must,  then,  be  such  that  God  can  bless  it — one  of  benefit 
to  our  fellow  men.  All  preying  upon  the  vices  of  our 
fellow  men  is  utterly  inconsistent  with  the  prayer.  To 
take  breadstuff  and  make  from  it  a  drink  which  fosters 
the  vices  of  men  and  destroys  the  well-being,  or  in  any 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  209 

way  to  make  money  by  its  sale,  seems  to  be  hardly  a 
proper  subject  to  bring  before  God  for  his  blessing.  It 
is  suspected  that  some  Christians  live  upon  rents  from 
saloons,  or,  worse  still,  from  brothels.  They  may  have 
been  deceived  by  their  agents,  or  have  liesitated  to  in- 
quire concerning  their  tenants,  but  the  suspicion  is  incon- 
sistent with  Christian  praying. 

To-day  there  are  strikes  raging  in  our  Christian  land; 
labor  and  capital  are  in  conflict,  in  some  cases,  on  a  stu- 
pendous scale.  Our  minds  can  easily  see  the  principles 
at  issue  if  we  reduce  the  scale  to  one  we  are  familiar 
with — hired  labor  in  house  or  store,  in  factory  or  farm. 
The  one  who  works  for  hire  sometimes  thinks  more  of 
his  wages  than  of  his  work,  and  w^hen  the  eye  of  the 
master  is  away  he  shirks  and  slights  it.  He  evidently 
does  not  consider  the  interest  of  his  employer,  only  is 
intent  on  drawing  his  pay.  If  his  life  voiced  itself  in 
prayer  it  would  be  "  Give  me  the  daily  bread  of  my 
employer." 

On  the  other  hand,  the  employer  is  sometimes  a  hard 
taskmaster ;  he  takes  advantage  of  the  necessity  of  the 
laboring  man  to  hire  him  at  the  lowest  possible  wages, 
and  then  stands  over  him,  to  drive  to  the  utmost  through 
the  longest  possible  day.  He  does  not  consider  the 
interest  of  his  employee,  only  his  interest  in  getting  as 
much  out  of  him  as  possible  for  as  little  pay  as  possible. 
If  his  life  voiced  itself  in  prayer  it  would  be  "  Give  me 
the  daily  bread  of  my  hired  man."  So  it  is  in  the 
kitchen,  in  the  small  factory,  or  in  the  great  steel  indus- 
try. On  the  large  scale  the  land  over,  labor  demands 
few  hours  and  large  pay.  "  Wages !  wages ! "  is  its  cry. 
On  the  other  hand,  capital  tries  to  build  itself  up  with 


2IO  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER, 

little  thought  of  the  interests  of  labor  it  employs.  "  Divi- 
dends! dividends!"  is  its  cry.  When  labor  seeks  to 
give  a  fair  day's  work,  and  capital  seeks  to  give  a  fair 
day's  wages,  the  question  will  be  solved,  and  solved  in 
God' s  way ;  for  then  both  labor  and  capital  may  con- 
sistently use  this  prayer,  praying  for  each  other,  "  Give 
us  this  day  our  daily  bread." 

The  whole  question  of  wealth  production  and  wealth 
distribution  comes  within  the  province  of  this  petition. 
Political  economy  has  too  often  made  man  revolve 
around  wealth — wealth  the  main  thing;  man  the  mere 
producer  of  wealth.  This  prayer — God's  political  econ- 
omy— makes  wealth  revolve  around  the  man ;  manhood 
is  the  main  thing — the  manhood,  too,  that  can  pray  about 
his  wealth. 

The  nineteenth  century  was  a  great  wealth-producer, 
producing,  it  is  claimed,  more  wealth  that  can  be  handed 
down  to  the  next  generation  than  all  the  centuries  that 
have  gone  before.  The  century  also,  in  its  closing  years, 
has  witnessed  the  accunmlation  of  stupendous  fortunes  in 
the  hands  of  individuals  and  stupendous  combinations  of 
wealth  in  the  hands  of  corporations.  Another  vast 
change  in  wealth-producing  conditions  has  been  evoked 
during  the  century.  Man  is  distinguished  from  the  ani- 
mals in  many  ways — markedly  in  this :  that  he  is  the 
being  who  uses  tools.  Y ery  largely  by  the  use  of  tools 
he  has  changed  his  environment  and  accumulated  wealth. 
But  in  this  country  a  great  change  has  come  in  the  use  of 
tools.  They  used  to  be  comparatively  simple,  now  by 
modern  invention  they  are  wonderfully  complex;  they 
used  to  be  driven  almost  altogether  by  manual  labor,  now 
they  are  driven  by  steam  and  electrical  power ;  they  used 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  2il 

to  belong  almost  entirely  to  the  laborer,  now  tliej  belong 
almost  entirely  to  the  capitalist.  The  laws  used  to  pro- 
tect the  laborer  in  the  possession  of  his  tools ;  they  could 
not  be  taken  away  from  liim ;  they  were  his  means  of 
earning  his  daily  bread.  Now  the  capitalist  may  shut  up 
his  factory  whenever  he  chooses,  and  the  laborer  loses  his 
means  of  earning  his  daily  bread.  It  is  a  terrible  power 
to  be  in  the  hands  of  a  small  class  of  men,  to  deprive  a 
multitude  of  the  means  of  earning  daily  bread ;  but  this 
is  one  of  the  marked  features  of  our  modern  civilization. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  is  a  wonderful  privilege  to  give  a 
multitude  the  means  of  earning  their  daily  bread ;  if  exer- 
cised rightly,  it  brings  one  very  near  to  the  great  Giver. 
Surely  this  should  be  a  Christian  civilization,  demanding 
the  exercise  of  this  power,  not  in  the  old  heathen,  selfish 
spirit,  but  in  the  modern  Christian  spirit  of  brotherly 
love. 

There  are  evidently  three  elements  entering  into 
wealth  production  and  wealth  distribution.  The  first  is 
labor  ;  it  must  change  the  things  of  the  earth  into  things 
of  beauty  and  use.  The  second  is  capital,  giving  labor 
the  material  and  the  tools  to  work  with.  The  third  is 
business  management ;  the  skill  to  work  the  combination 
of  labor  and  capital  to  the  greatest  advantage  in  the  fac- 
tory, in  transportation,  and  in  the  markets  of  the  world. 
The  distribution  of  the  results  must  largely  be  in  the 
hands  of  this  third  element.  The  accumulation  of  the 
vast  fortunes  seems  to  indicate  that  the  managers  have 
taken  to  themselves  rather  more  than  their  just  propor- 
tion of  these  results.  How  the  results  shall  be  justly 
distributed  between  the  three  elements — what  is  just 
wages  for  laborers,  what  is  just  interest  for  capital,  what 


212  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER, 

is  just  reward  for  business  enterprise  and  skill — it  must 
be  confessed  is  a  difficult  problem.  But  this  petition 
of  the  Lord's  Prayer  solves  it.  When  the  tliree  pray 
together  and  for  each  other,  '''  Give  us  this  day  our  daily 
bread,"  the  equitable  portion  will  fall  into  the  hands  of 
each. 

There  is  one  more  small  word  of  vast  meaning  in  this 
petition — the  word  "  us."  You  cannot  make  it  contain 
less  than  the  race  of  mankind.  If  I  wish  to  pray  for 
myself  alone,  or  for  my  family,  or  for  my  friends  alone,  I 
shall  have  to  make  my  own  prayer.  It  is  imj^ossible  to 
make  the  Lord's  Prayer  in  any  way  favor  selfishness. 
We  cannot  ask  even  for  our  daily  bread,  but,  as  interced- 
ing priests,  for  the  wants  of  all  men  ;  many  may  not 
pray  for  themselves,  but  that  does  not  hinder  us  from 
praying  for  them.  Before  the  Father's  throne  we  are 
brothers ;  the  rich  pray  for  the  poor,  and  the  poor  pray 
for  the  rich,  that  all  may  have  rich  and  full  life  for  tlie 
worship  of  God  and  the  service  of  mankind.  We  cannot 
hold  anything  we  receive  exclusively  for  ourselves  alone, 
nor  are  we  to  allow  position  and  wealth  to  remove  our 
brother  from  our  loving  interest. 

The  great  Giver  of  the  harvests  has  made  this  a  boun- 
tiful earth,  producing  grain  and  fruits  in  abundance  for 
all  the  needs  of  the  children  of  men,  and  capable  of 
producing  still  greater  abundance.  The  E"ew  World 
alone,  our  own  continent,  if  all  thoroughly  cultivated, 
could  feed  three  times  the  present  population  of  the 
world.  New  varieties  of  grain  and  fruits  are  being 
brought  into  existence  by  careful  culture,  so  that  the 
wheat  production  to  the  acre  may  Ije  largely  increased. 

But  something  is  wrong,  for  there  are  multitudes  in 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER, 


213 


Christian  lands  and  vast  multitudes  in  lieatlien  lands  who 
do  not  know  what  it  is  to  have  a  full  meal  of  healthy 
food.  The  spirit  of  this  petition  looks  upon  these  with 
charity,  longing  to  feed  them,  and,  more  tlian  this,  seeks 
to  discover  the  cause  of  this  sad  condition,  with  eager 
desire  to  correct  it.  This  cause  is  certainly  not  in  the 
great  Giver  of  the  harvests,  but  in  the  way  men  treat 
one  another  in  the  matter  of  earning  their  daily  bread. 
As  we  pray  and  meditate  together  upon  the  word  "  us," 
we  see  the  squalid  poor  in  the  great  cities,  the  famine- 
stricken  in  foreign  lands,  the  sick  and  needy  at  our  doors, 
and,  behold !  we  are  all  kneeling  together  \ntli  the 
prayer,  "  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.''  Then,  if  we 
are  sincere,  we  w^ill  do  the  best  we  can  to  answer  our 
prayer ;  with  liberal  hand  we  will  help  the  poor,  with 
earnest  thought  seek  to  help  them  to  earn  their  own  liv- 
ing, with  loving  and  equitable  spirit  seek  to  bring  about 
such  conditions  that  each  member  of  the  whole  race,  our 
brother  man,  shall  have  as  fair  an  opportunity  to  earn  his 
daily  bread  as  we  desire  for  ourselves. 

This  petition,  while  simply  for  the  needed  food  for  the 
body,  is  intensely  spiritual.  Bodily  need  has  its  highest 
significance  to  the  thoughtful  as  a  figure  of  the  spiritual. 
So  Christ  speaks  of  the  blessedness  of  those  who  hunger 
and  thirst  after  righteousness.  So  our  daily  bread,  as  the 
gift  of  God,  has  its  teaching  of  the  true  bread  which 
came  down  from  heaven — the  bread  of  life,  the  supreme 
gift  of  God  to  the  children  of  men.  The  child  spirit 
awakened  by  our  Savior  and  sustained  by  Him  prays  in 
this  petition.  The  wants  of  the  soul  are  hinted  at  rather 
than  expressed.  We  pray  that  all  men  may  be  sustained 
in  this  earthly  life.     But  we  have  already  prayed  for 


214 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


the  hallowed  Name,  the  coming  Kingdom,  and  the  reg- 
nant Will.  Linking  this  petition  with  these,  and  seeing 
the  full  significance  of  the  bodily  life,  and  having  the 
child  spirit,  we  pray  that  all  men  may  have  the  bread  of 
life. 


"AND  FOKGIYE  US  OUK  DEBTS,  AS  WE 
FORGIVE  OUR  DEBTORS." 


Matt.  \i :  12. 


When  our  Savior  inserted  this  petition  in  the  prayer 
He  taught  His  disciples  He  debarred  Himself  from  ever 
using  it.  'No  one  ever  found  sin  in  Him.  He  never 
confessed  sin,  never  seemed  conscious  of  it.  He  was 
sinless,  and  never  could  pray  for  forgiveness.  It  is  the 
Lord's  Prayer  not  because  He  used  it,  but  because  He 
taught  His  disciples  to  use  it.  Still,  He  could  not  have 
taught  them  a  prayer  suitable  to  their  needs  and  left  this 
clause  out.  The  petition  differs  from  the  others  in  that 
it  alone  has  a  qualifying  clause,  and,  further,  that  Christ 
commented  upon  this  petition  alone  of  all  the  prayer. 

This  second  part  of  the  prayer  connects  the  petition 
with  the  word  "and,"  thus  distinguishing  it  from  the 
first  part.  Each  of  the  petitions  concerning  God  is  com- 
plete and  comprehensive.  One  great  subject  is  consid- 
ered from  different  points  of  view.  If  the  name  of  G.od 
is  hallowed,  then  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  come  and  the 
will  of  God  is  done.  The  realization  of  each  petition 
realizes  the  others.  In  tlie  second  part  each  petition 
covers  only  a  part  of  man's  comjDlex  needs.  If  the  first 
petition  is  realized,  and  we  have  our  daily  bread,  only  a 
part  of  our  need  is  filled.  The  "and  "  here  very  strongly 
impresses  upon  us  the  important  truth  that  as  much  as 
the  child  of  God  needs  daily  bread,  so  much  he  needs 
daily  forgiveness.  The  sentimentalist  may  tell  us  that 
we  ought  not  to  mention  our  sins  so  frequently  to  God, 

215 


2i6  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

that  any  earthly  father  does  not  wish  such  confession 
from  his  child,  that  it  is  not  a  high  ideal  of  the  cliild 
character.  Yery  true ;  but  we  are  far  from  ideal  chil- 
dren. To  speak  to  God  as  if  we  were,  would  be  false  to 
our  real  condition.  Christ  teaches  us  to  pray  for  daily 
forgiveness.  It  is  very  important  that  we  clearly  under- 
stand this  petition,  in  order  that  we  may  sincerely  use  it. 
There  is  a  great  difference  between  pardon  and  for- 
giveness. Pardon  is  a  matter  of  law,  of  legal  conditions; 
it  frees  one  from  penalty,  with  some  restoration  of  stand- 
ing. Forgiveness  is  a  matter  of  heart,  of  personal  rela- 
tions ;  it  frees  from  estrangement,  and  restores  to 
conlidence  and  affection.  The  governor  of  a  State  may, 
for  reasons  of  State,  pardon  a  man  he  has  no  interest  in  ; 
he  does  not  even  know  him,  or  he  may  know  him  and 
thoroughly  detest  him.  He  frees  him  from  prison  and 
restores  him  to  citizenship.  The  man  pardoned  may  not 
know  the  governor,  have  no  interest  in  him,  or  may  hate 
him ;  besides,  he  may  be  the  same  kind  of  man  after  his 
pardon  as  before — as  bad  a  character,  or  even  a  worse 
one.  Some  of  the  popular  thinking  on  forgiveness  of 
sin  has  almost  exclusive  reference  to  pardon.  There  is  a 
popular  theory  that  God  will  not  punish  sin  in  the  life  to 
come.  This  is  poor  reasoning  in  itself,  for  in  all  the 
spheres  of  being  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge,  phys- 
ical, mental,  or  spiritual,  there  is  penalty  of  violated  law, 
and  it  seems  probable  this  will  last  while  being  lasts. 
But  the  theory  has  reference  only  to  release  from  penalty, 
to  pardon.  It  does  not  take  into  account  the  real  nature 
of  sin  and  the  need  of  forgiveness.  So  with  the  other 
popular  theory.  God  will  not  punish  those  w^ho  do  the 
best  they  can.    This,  too,  is  poor  reasoning  in  itself.   God 


THE  LORD'S  PRA  YER, 


217 


does  not  require  us  to  fly,  but  to  love  Him  supremely. 
We  certainly  have  the  power  of  loving.  Now  if  God 
said  to  the  drunkard,  "Love  Me  as  much  as  you  can," 
He  would  leave  him  forever  a  drunkard,  requiring  only 
the  little  love  left  after  he  had  loved  liquor  supremely. 
God  never  lowers  his  law  to  the  condition  of  the  creature 
who  has  become  unable  to  keep  that  law,  else  there  would 
be  no  possibility  of  restoration.  The  laws  of  flight  rest 
upon  all  birds  alike,  though  some  have  weak  or  broken 
wings,  and  in  this  is  the  only  hope  for  such  wings.  But 
this  tlieory  also  has  reference  only  to  release  from  pen- 
alty, to  pardon,  which,  we  have  seen,  might  be  a  bad 
thing ;  it  does  not  take  into  consideration  the  nature  of 
sin  and  the  need  of  forgiveness. 

We  can  easily  see  the  distinction  between  pardon  and 
forgiveness  among  ourselves,  if  we  take  an  instance  in 
the  family.  A  mother  gives  her  boy  a  dog,  tells  him  to 
treat  it  kindly,  and  tlireatens  a  particular  punishment  if 
he  torments  the  pet.  All  goes  well  for  a  time,  but  one 
day  the  boy  cruelly  torments  the  pet ;  he  is  found  out, 
and  brought  to  an  account.  He  pleads  with  the  mother 
not  to  inflict  the  punishment  (it  is  all  he  cares  about),  he 
pleads  for  pardon.  The  mother  may  weakly  pardon 
him,  and  he  probably  will  become  a  worse  boy — more 
cruel,  more  disobedient — for  such  treatment.  On  tlie 
other  hand,  the  mother  may  wisely  and  lovingly  show 
him  his  wrong;  that  he  has  inflicted  pain  upon  the  pet; 
that  he  hag  hardened  his  own  nature  by  cruelty ;  that  the 
mother  has  sympathy  for  the  pet  and  love  for  her  boy, 
and  so  he  has  hurt  her;  that  he  has  wronged  the  pet, 
himself,  and  his  mother  in  disobeying  her  commands, 
and  so  deserves  the  punishment.     The  sensitive  boy  now 


2i8  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

feels  sorry  for  tlie  pet,  for  himself,  for  his  mother,  and 
with  tears  he  asks  her  to  forgive  him.  You  who  are 
mothers  know  the  result.  The  two  hearts  are  brought 
together  again,  the  mother  freely  forgives  her  repentant 
boy.  What  becomes  of  the  punishment  ?  The  mother 
now  exercises  her  wisdom ;  she  may  inflict  it  in  whole  or 
in  part,  or  she  may  remit  it  altogether,  as  she  thinks  will 
be  best  for  the  boy.  In  this  case  forgiveness  may  include 
or  be  independent  of  pardon ;  the  forgiveness  is  the  main 
thing,  the  pardon  is  a  comparatively  small  affair. 

So  when  man  breaks  a  law  of  God  he  incurs  the 
penalty,  but  that  is  not  all  or  even  the  main  thing  in  sin. 
There  is  a  Person  back  of  the  law  who  has  deep  love  for 
us,  and  the  law  is  the  expression  of  that  love  seeking  our 
good.  On  our  side,  to  break  the  law  is  not  an  impersonal 
tiling ;  there  is  feeling  in  it.  We  go  through  the  law 
to  the  Person  back  of  the  law,  and  wrong  Him  in  our 
disrespect  for  or  dislike  of  Him.  A  little  creature,  de- 
pendent absolutely  upon  God,  arrays  himself  against 
Him,  and,  through  the  broken  law,  strikes  a  blow  upon 
the  infinite,  loving  heart  of  God.  He  may  not  realize 
this  fully,  as  the  child  did  not  realize  that  he  hurt  his 
mother  when  he  hurt  the  pet;  but  he  did — that  was  in 
the  nature  of  his  disobedience.  This,  then,  is  the  essence 
of  sin  :  it  is  a  personal  wrong  against  God.  The  sinner 
wrongs  God.  An  instance  which  we  may  not  consider 
much  of  a  sin  may  make  this  plain.  I  entertain  a  harsh, 
uncharitable  judgment  of  my  neighbor,  putting  a  bad 
construction  upon  his  character  and  conduct  when  a  better 
was  supposable.  I  have  sinned  against  myself — been 
unkind ;  against  him — been  unjust ;  against  the  neighbor- 
hood— been  unfair ;  against  the  Church — I  have  wronged 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


219 


one  of  its  members ;  and  this  though  I  have  not  allowed 
my  uncharitable  judgment  to  express  itself  in  word  or 
deed.  But  this  is  not  all,  or  even  the  main  part  of  my 
sin.  We  are  both  redeemed  children  of  God.  He  made 
and  loves  us  both.  I  have  wronged  God  in  my  uncharit- 
able thought,  have  cherished  that  which  one  child  of  God 
should  never  have  of  another.  It  is  so  with  the  greatest 
sins ;  the  kind  is  one,  the  difference  is  only  in  degree ; 
the  smallest  fragment  of  ice  has  all  the  essential  properties 
of  the  iceberg.  David,  when  he  awoke  to  the  nature  of 
his  sin,  thought  doubtless  of  his  wrong  to  Uriah,  to  Bath- 
sheba,  to  his  family,  to  his  kingdom ;  but  these  w^ere  all 
lesser  parts  of  the  great  wrong  to  God,  so  He  said, 
"Against  Thee,  Thee  only  have  I  sinned,  and  done  this 
evil  in  Thy  sight."  The  essence  of  sin  is  the  wrong 
done  to  God.  Pardon  from  penalty  does  not  go  to  the 
deptli  of  the  case ;  it  is  only  a  matter  of  law,  does  not 
touch  the  personal  element  in  the  sin. 

I  would  not  have  you  think  I  make  light  of  law  and 
penalty.  I  magnify  them.  By  breaking  law  one  loses 
standing  as  an  obedient  subject  of  God.  It  is  often  a 
terrible  thing  to  lose  one's  standing.  A  business  man 
loses  his  standing  on  the  Stock  Exchange.  A  lawyer  loses 
his  standing  at  the  Bar.  A  man  or  woman  loses  standing 
in  Society.  Penalty  is  the  frown  of  the  law ;  it  overrides 
all  questions  but  justice.  A  judge  is  on  the  bench,  and 
his  personal  friend  is  brought  before  him  convicted  of 
crime ;  the  friendship  must  give  way  or  the  foundations 
of  Society  are  destroyed,  and  the  stern  sentence  to  the 
state  prison  issues.  So  in  the  last  day  of  the  general 
judgment  the  sentence  of  the  just  Judge  will  be  a  terri- 
ble thing.     But  there  is  one  thing  more  terrible  still : 


220  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

the  sin  is  still  there.  You  can  think  of  pardon,  freedom 
from  penalty,  a  restoration  of  standing,  and  the  more 
terrible  thing,  the  wrong  done  to  God,  still  existing  ! 

The  soul  needs  forgiveness,  the  remission  of  sin,  the 
taking  awaj  of  the  sin  itself.  How  is  this  brought 
about?  Let  us  think  again  of  the  mother  and  her  boy; 
he  sought  forgiveness  when  he  saw  his  real  offense,  and 
she  at  once  took  him  back  to  her  heart.  When  did  the 
mother  forgive  her  boy  ?  When  he  asked  forgiveness  ? 
Was  that  the  time  ?  You  who  are  mothers  know  better 
than  tliat.  She  had  forgiven  him  from  the  beginning, 
from  the  first  knowledge  she  had  of  the  offense.  It  is 
the  nature  of  the  mother's  heart,  though  wronged,  to  for- 
give. It  w^as  because  she  had  this  forgiving  love  that 
she  tried  to  bring  him  to  see  and  learn  his  oifense;  with- 
out this  deep  love  it  would  have  been  easy  for  her  to 
inflict  the  punishment  at  once.  When  was  the  boy  for- 
given ?  This,  though  it  seems  the  same,  is  a  far  different 
question.  When  he  hurt  the  pet  ?  No.  When  he 
sought  to  be  relieved  from  the  penalty  ?  Ko.  He  was 
forgiven  only  when  he  felt  his  sin  and  sought  forgive- 
ness. The  mother's  forgiving  love  brought  him  to  see 
his  need,  and  then  supplied  that  reed.  How  plain  it  is 
in  the  case  of  the  mother.  Is  it  not  as  plain  in  the  case 
of  God? 

There  are  many  hints  in  nature  of  God's  readiness  to 
forgive.  The  whole  sphere  of  remedies,  of  restorative 
agencies  waiting  to  heal  the  moment  one  ceases  to  break 
the  laws  of  health,  affords  such  a  suggestion.  Besides,  a 
still  clearer  hint  is  in  the  nature  of  a  mother's  heart.  We 
instinctively  feel  the  mother's  wealth  of  forgiving  love  is 
but  a  faint  reflection  of  God's  infinite  heart  of  forgiving 


THE  LORD 'S  PRA  YER,  2 2 1 

love.  Still,  we  need  something  clearer  than  many  hints 
in  such  a  vitally  important  matter.  Here  the  Bible 
meets  our  need  in  one  of  its  most  important  proclama- 
tions: "Through  Jesus  Christ  is  proclaimed  to  you  the 
forgiveness  of  sins." 

When  does  God  forgive  sins  ?  Consider  that  question 
first.  Is  it  when  we  repent  ?  Is  He  less  rich  in  forgive- 
ness than  the  mother  ?  No !  no  !  richer,  far  richer  !  He 
forgives  from  the  first.  He  forgives  from  all  eternity,  it 
is  His  nature  to  forgive.  Oh !  the  hardness  of  our  sinful 
hearts  that  can  strike  the  forgiving  heart  of  God  blow 
after  blow !  From  this  forgiving  heart  of  God  comes 
forth  the  Divine  Son  to  reveal  God  to  us.  The  gift  of 
Forgiving  Love  is  Forgiving  Love  Himself.  He  takes 
all  the  barriers  out  of  the  way  to  the  full  exercise  of  for- 
giveness. By  breaking  the  law  of  our  being  we  had  lost 
standing.  He  takes  His  place  with  us — the  sinless  one 
standing  with  sinners,  in  the  sinner's  place.  By  breaking 
law  we  are  under  its  penalty.  The  sentence  of  death 
fills  all  our  future.  How  can  God  be  just  and  save  the 
guilty?  Just!  He  cannot  be  otherwise;  His  nature  is 
perfectly  just  and  absolutely  unchangeable.  Just!  He 
must  be  just ;  the  welfare  of  the  whole  intelligent,  moral 
universe  is  based  upon  the  justice  of  God.  But  the  in- 
finite, forgiving  love  of  God  provides  a  way  in  infinite 
self-sacrifice  by  which  he  may  remain  just,  and  still  foi-- 
give.  He  bears  in  His  own  person  all  the  just  claims  of 
violated  law ;  He  not  only  stands  in  the  sinner's  place, 
He  dies  in  the  sinner's  stead.  It  is  God's  nature  to  for- 
give ;  the  whole  mission  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  His 
atoning  death  upon  the  cross  and  all  His  witness  bearing 
among  men,  is  a  revelation  of  the  forgiving  love  of  God. 


222  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

When  is  a  man  forgiven  ?  Is  it  when  he  seeks  pardon 
only  ?  Ko  ;  for  liis  heart  may  still  cherish  the  wrong 
done  to  God  and  shed  off  the  rich,  forgiving  love  of  God 
as  a  stone  sheds  off  the  abundance  of  rain.  It  is  when  he 
recognizes  his  sin,  that  he  has  wronged  God,  when  he 
penitently  seeks  God's  forgiveness,  then,  that  forgiveness 
with  all  its  wealth  of  life  enters  his  heart ;  this  saves  him 
from  the  penalty  not  only,  but  from  his  sin — brings  back 
his  heart  to  God.  There  can  be  no  help  for  the  sinful 
soul  from  mere  pardon,  pardon  from  penalty  ;  the  heart  is 
unchanged,  the  hard,  cruel  sin  is  still  there.  But  if  that 
shall  be  removed,  if  the  hard  heart  shall  be  melted  and 
receive  into  it  the  forgiving  love  of  God,  the  greatest 
sinner  may  he  made  a  saint.  The  warmth  of  summer 
melts  the  iceberg  as  well  as  the  fragment  of  ice.  The 
forgiveness  in  Christ,  the  forgiveness  that  costs  so  much, 
the  love  that  leads  the  son  of  God  to  come  to  the  sinner 
and  show  him  his  wrong,  this  aw^akens  in  the  soul  the 
desire  to  be  forgiven,  the  desire  that  voices  itself  in  this 
petition  of  the  Lord's  Prayer. 

I  have  somewhere  read  this  story.  A  father  did  much 
for  his  son,  sent  him  to  college,  and  started  him  in  busi- 
ness. But  the  son  was  untrue,  wronged  his  father  terri- 
bly, wasted  time  and  money,  gambled,  and  at  last  forged 
a  note  on  his  father' s  friend.  He  was  discovered,  tried, 
convicted,  and  sent  to  the  state  prison.  After  awhile  he 
escaped  from  prison,  and  became  lost  from  the  knowledge 
of  all  his  friends.  But  his  father  still  loved  him.  He 
paid  the  forged  note,  and  got  a  receipt  in  full ;  he  ap- 
pealed to  the  governer  and  secured  his  pardon  ;  he  hired 
a  detective  to  find  his  son  and  bring  him  back  home, 
giving  the  detective  the  receipted  note,  the  governor's 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


223 


pardon,  and  a  personal  letter.  The  detective  at  length 
found  the  son  in  a  gambling  den  in  a  large  city.  He 
gave  liim  the  receipted  note.  "  What  care  I  for  that  ?  " 
he  said,  and  threw  it  away.  He  gave  him  the  pardon. 
"I  care  not  for  it,"  and  he  tore  it  in  pieces;  "go,  and 
leave  me  to  my  course."  "  But  I  liave  a  letter  to  you 
from  your  father."  The  young  man  looked  upon  the 
familiar  writing  and  read  this  letter : 

"Dear  Boy, — The  miserable  debt  is  paid.  The  governor  has 
pardoned  you  Your  father  has  never  ceased  to  love  you,  and  to 
long  for  you,  and  freely  forgives  you.     Come  home  to  me." 

That  broke  the  boy's  hard  heart,  and  he  returned  home 
to  his  father.  Forgiven,  it  meant  a  new  life  of  love  to 
him.  So  God  comes  to  us  with  His  forgiveness.  Shall 
we  reject  it,  remain  under  the  penalty — worse,  far  worse, 
remain  hard  in  sin,  wronging  still  more  the  yearning, 
infinite  love  of  God  ?  Shall  we  not  rather  drink  in  for- 
giveness, as  a  parched  land  drinks  in  the  rain,  that  a  new 
life  of  loving  obedience  may  bloom  and  bear  fruitage  to 
the  praise  of  God's  forgiving  love?  Thus  the  Savior 
teaches  us  to  pray  for  daily  forgiveness,  thus  He  awakens 
in  all  hearts  yielding  to  Him  the  child's  spirit  of  peni- 
tence, leaving  sin  and  seeking  forgiveness. 

The  two  things  follow,  as  found  in  this  petition. 
Whenever  this  child  spirit  exists  there  is  a  sensitiveness 
to  the  nature  of  sin  that  j)rays  for  the  forgiveness  of 
debts.  In  using  the  word  "debts"  Christ  gives  us  an 
important  teaching  concerning  sin.  So  in  His  represen- 
tation of  the  last  judgment  the  duties  left  undone  rather 
than  offenses  committed  indicate  the  character  of  the 
person  and  furnish  tlie  ground  for  his   condemnation. 


224 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


We  are  prone  to  tliink  oiil}'  of  trespasses  as  sins.  These 
are  included  in  seeking  forgiveness,  as  Christ  has  taught 
us  elsewhere;  but  not  only  trespasses  against  duty  hut 
omissions  of  duty  ai'e  in  the  nature  of  debt — perhaps  the 
greater  part  of  our  sin.  In  a  Christian  society  the  cir- 
cumstances and  tenor  of  our  lives  are  away  from  overt 
acts  of  sin ;  there  are  few  open  violations  of  the  law  of 
God,  few.  trespasses.  We  are  to  be  true,  we  are  not  to 
confess  to  a  sinfulness  of  which  we  are  not  conscious. 
God  meant  us  to  be  sincere  in  our  prayers.  Have  I  de- 
frauded my  neighbor  to-day  in  deed,  or  even  in  desire  ? 
Have  I  hated  him  at  all  ?  No.  Have  1  profaned  God's 
holy  Name  to-day,  in  sj^eech  or  even  in  thought?  No. 
Do  not  think  you  ought  to  say  you  have  when  you  have 
not.  Do  not  tliink  you  ought  to  say,  "  I  have  sinned  in 
these  respects,"  because  you  are  sinful  by  nature.  You 
are  also  renewed  in  your  nature.  You  are  a  child  of 
God,  having  the  child  spirit.  You  ought  to  be  true  in 
God's  sight.  But  have  you,  then,  no  sin,  or  very  little, 
if  you  have  not  trespassed  against  God's  law  ?  If  your 
heart  has  been  free  from  hatred  of  your  neighbor,  has  it 
been  full  of  love,  or  only  with  cold  indifference,  to  him  ? 
If  you  have  not  defrauded  him,  have  you  served  him  ? 
Have  you  sought  his  interests  as  your  own  ?  If  you  have 
not  profaned  God's  name,  has  His  love  filled  all  your 
powers  with  adoration  ?  Have  you  been  entirely  conse- 
crated to  Him  ?  Have  you  been  fully,  heartily,  con- 
stantly engaged  in  His  service  ?  They  \vould  be  very 
poor  soldiers  w^ho,  after  a  day's  battle,  could  only  say, 
"  We  did  not  desert  to  the  enemy.  We  did  not  fight 
against  our  country."  Were  you  full  of  courage? 
Did  you  strike  blow^s  for  your  country  ?     Did  you  risk 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  225 

your  lives  ?  Did  you  do  your  full  duty  ?  So  asks  the 
nation  of  its  soldiers.  So,  at  the  close  of  the  day, 
God  asks  of  His  children,  "Have  you  done  your  whole 
duty  ? "  We  may  not  find  many  trespasses,  but  we  are 
amazed  at  our  omissions,  and  we  pray,  "  Father,  forgive 
us  our  debts."  The  more  impressed  we  are  with  the 
forgiving  love  of  God,  revealed  in  the  life  and  death  of 
our  Savior,  the  more  the  spirit  of  Christ  rules  in  our 
hearts,  the  more  we  shall  see  the  trespasses  we  pre- 
sume to  commit  in  their  real  nature ;  and,  beyond  this, 
how  far  short  we  come  of  loving  God  and  our  fellow  men 
as  we  should  !  The  sensitiveness  to  the  nature  of  sin 
that  prays  for  the  forgiveness  of  debts  is  the  spirit  of 
true  penitence  and  aspiration,  the  spirit  that  constantly 
seeks  God's  help  in  coming  out  of  the  low  condition  of 
weak  faith  and  lukewarm  love  into  complete  devotion  to 
God.  So  Christ's  teaching  His  disciples  to  pray  for 
daily  forgiveness  is  His  method  of  bringing  them  out  of 
their  sins. 

The  second  thing  following  from  the  awakened  child 
spirit  seeking  forgiveness  is  the  forgiving  spirit.  So  im- 
portant is  this  that  Christ  makes  it  the  standard  of  the 
forgiveness  we  seek,  and  afterward  assures  us  that  its 
presence  in  our  hearts  is  absolutely  necessary  before  we 
can  receive  the  foro-iveness  of  God.  One  seekino-  for- 
giveness  of  God  as  His  child  reflects  God's  forgiving  love 
upon  his  brother.  The  self-righteous  S23irit  not  conscious 
of  its  need  of  forgiveness  is  a  most  exacting  spirit  in  its 
claims  upon  others.  But  the  penitent  spirit,  conscious  of 
the  wrong  done  to  God  and  of  the  freeness  and  fulness 
of  His  forgiving  love,  will  see  how  small  in  proportion  is 
his  brother's  wrong  to  him,  like  the  hundred  pence  in  the 


226  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

parable  to  the  ten  thousand  talents,  and  will  cheerfully 
forgive.  The  one  not  having  this  forgiving  spirit  shows 
thereby  that  he  is  not  praying  this  prayer  at  all,  that 
whatever  else  he  may  be  seeking  he  is  not  seeking  for- 
giveness. 

"We  are,  therefore,  to  possess  and  cultivate  a  forgiving 
spirit  according  to  the  forgiveness  we  seek — as  we  hope 
to  be  forgiven.  This  is  opposed  to  the  old  sinful  nature, 
very  difficult  in  practice,  and  often  neglected  by  profess- 
ing Christians;  but  it  is  a  characteristic  feature  of  the 
new  nature  of  one  turning  from  sin  to  the  forgiving  love 
of  God.  It  finds  a  ready  answer  to  many  of  the  popular 
objections  to  this  great  claim  of  our  Lord.  One  says, 
"There  is  a  just  resentment,  a  righteous  indignation; 
one  of  the  noblest  feelings  of  the  soul,  God  implanted,  is 
to  frown  upon  a  wrong  deed.  And  does  it  make  any 
difference  because  the  wrong  deed  happens  to  be  against 
me?  Why  should  I  forgive?"  The  answer  is  ready. 
We  are  to  be  very  sure,  in  the  pure  exercise  of  this 
righteous  anger,  that  our  skirts  are  entirely  free  from 
blame.  This  is  the  case  with  our  offenses  against  God, 
you  know;  absolutely  no  provocation  on  his  part.  But 
it  is  seldom  the  case  with  our  brother's  offense  against 
us.  But  even  if  this  is  the  case,  should  this  pure,  right- 
eous indignation  rule  or  forgiving  love  ?  Which  do  you 
want  to  rule  with  God  in  your  case  of  unprovoked 
offense  ?  Who  are  you  that  you  want  to  stand  on  a  better 
footing  before  God  than  you  will  have  your  brother 
stand  before  you?  This,  supposing  the  offenses  are  the 
same  in  degree;  but  his  is  a  hundred  pence,  yours  ten 
thousand  talents. 

Another  says,  "  I  will  forgive,  but  I  cannot  forget." 


THE  LORD  '5  PRA  VER.  i±^ 

Of  course  we  have  notliing  to  do  with  the  involuntary 
hold  of  memory.  But  concerning  the  voluntary  mem- 
ory ;  that  calls  up  and  turns  over  the  subject  again  and 
again ;  that  keeps  on  fire  the  sense  of  injury,  and  leads  to 
the  cold  though  courteous  treatment  of  our  brother ;  we 
all  know  that  this  is  no  forgiveness  at  all.  It  may  satisfy 
cold  hearts  to  give  this  to  otliers,  but  it  can  never  satisfy 
the  penitent  heart  either  to  receive  this  from  God  or  to 
give  it  to  a  brother.  We  want  God  to  blot  out  our  debts 
f  i-om  the  book  of  His  remembrance,  to  cast  them  into  the 
sea  of  forgetfulness,  to  love  us  freely.  So  we  are  to 
forgive  our  brother. 

Another  says,  "I  will  forgive  him  when  he  repents — 
^vhen  he  acknowledges  his  fault  and  asks  my  forgive- 
ness. This  God  requires  of  me.  This  I  require  of  him." 
The  answer  is  ready  from  the  child  spirit  of  forgiving 
love.  Toward  what  have  you  repented,  my  friend — 
toward  stern,  exacting  justice?  What  brought  you  to 
repentance  ?  If  it  has  been  with  you  as  it  has  been  with 
the  rest  of  us,  it  was  the  forgiving  love  of  God  that 
showed  you  your  sin  and  lovingly  constrained  you  to 
repent — a  forgiving  love  manifested  in  the  utmost 
patience  with  you ;  more  than  this,  manifested  in  the 
costliest  self-sacrifice  the  universe  has  ever  known — the 
cross  of  Christ.  True,  your  brother  cannot  be  recon- 
ciled to  you,  cannot  receive  your  forgiveness  until  he 
repents;  but  your  forgiving  love  should  go  before  to 
bring  your  brother  to  a  better  mind  and  heart,  for  so 
God  forgives  you.  It  is  beyond  our  powers  to  estimate 
the  refining,  civilizing  influence  that  has  been  exerted 
upon  human  life  by  the  teaching  and  spirit  of  Christ  in 
this  single  petition.     The  old  Latin  maxim  is  true :  "  We 


228  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

liate  those  whom  we  have  injured."  It  oiiglit  to  be  the 
reverse ;  but  injuring  another  feeds  itself  upon  its  wrong 
deeds.  It  is  just  as  true  that  we  resent  injuries ;  the 
spirit  of  hard  feeling  and  of  retaliation  is  awakened  by 
receiving  injuries,  and  so  our  sin  goes  on  increasing  by 
exercise. 

Then  Christ  teaches  us  to  pray  for  forgiveness,  to  pray 
for  each  other,  and  to  forgive  one  another,  and  retalia- 
tion and  resentment  give  place  to  brotherly,  forgiving 
love.  There  is  no  selfishness  in  the  Lord's  Prayer,  even 
in  such  a  personal  matter  as  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  The 
"us"  and  the  "  our"  include  all  men.  We  cannot  pray 
for  ourselves  but  we  pray  for  our  debtors  too — for  their 
debts  to  God,  which  include  their  small  debts  to  us  ;  and 
we  pray  also  for  the  same  kind  of  forgiveness  for  our- 
selves as  we  give  to  them.  The  story  of  the  middle 
ages  illustrates  how  this  petition  has  civilized  life.  A 
baron  had  received  an  injury  from  a  neighboring  baron, 
and,  inflamed  with  wrath,  determined  to  avenge  it,  and 
called  his  retainers  to  his  castle  to  go  out  with  him  in 
deadly  warfare.  His  chaplain  had  vainly  endeavored  to 
dissuade  him  from  revenge,  and  so,  as  a  last  resort,  per- 
suaded him  to  go  with  him  into  the  chapel  and  pray. 
There,  kneeling  before  the  altar,  he  and  the  baron  repeated, 
sentence  by  sentence,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  when  this 
petition  was  reached  the  baron,  with  cruel  revenge  in  his 
heart,  could  not  repeat  it.  It  was  a  question  whether  he 
should  pray  or  fight.  He  saw  he  could  not  do  both,  and 
at  length  the  prayer  conquered.  Wars  between  nations, 
as  well  as  feuds  between  men,  would  generally  cease  if 
both  parties  would  thoughtfully  and  penitently  pray  w^ith 
and  for  one  another. 


"AND  LEAD  US  NOT  INTO  TEMPTATION, 
BUT  DELIYEK  US  FEOM  EVIL." 

Matt,  vi :  13. 

The  child  of  God  has  prayed  to  his  heavenly  Father  to 
be  sustained  in  his  life  and  to  be  forgiven  of  his  sins. 
What  more  can  he  need?  He  needs  to  be  saved  from 
sinning  again;  he  needs  to  be  delivered  from  the  evil, 
the  whole  domain  and  sphere  of  the  evil,  from  all  the 
power  and  influence  of  the  evil  one.  How  shall  this  be 
accomplished?  We  can  conceive  of  his  being  at  once 
taken  out  of  this  world ;  this  would  be  deliverance,  but 
of  a  low  kind;  he  would  be  freed  from  the  evil,  but  not 
made  strong  against  the  evil.  He  has  fallen  into  sin,  has 
become  penitent,  has  turned  from  sin  and  been  forgiven, 
and  at  once  he  is  taken  out  of  the  sphere  of  the  evil ;  we 
cannot  conceive  of  his  being  other  than  very  weak.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  he  is  left  in  this  world  he  can  only 
become  strong  by  bearing  its  trials  and  facing  its  tempta- 
tions successfully.  There  is  very  poor  prospect  of  his 
being  successful  if  he  ignorantly  and  rashly  and  in  his 
own  strength  faces  the  evil.  The  child  of  God  has 
learned  enough  of  himself  to  be  sure  of  this ;  he  has  also 
learned  so  much  of  his  heavenly  Father  that  with  the 
utmost  confidence  he  prays:  "So  govern  me  in  this  life 
of  trial  and  temptation  that  I  may  daily  be  delivered 
from  the  evil."  The  salvation  he  seeks  is  to-day — a 
present  deliverance;  but  it  is,  of  course,  a  deliverance 
that  grows  in  strength  by  exercise,  and  culminates  in  the 
complete  deliverance,  the  final  redemption  of  the  sons  of 

229 


230  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

God.  The  Divine  insight  of  human  sinfulness  and 
frailty  teaches  us  to  voice  our  need  in  this  the  greatest 
and  best  of  the  personal  petitions.  In  His  last  prayer  for 
His  disciples  our  Savior  makes  this  His  own  petition  for 
them :  "  I  pray  not  that  Thou  shouldst  take  them  from 
the  world,  but  that  Thou  shouldst  keep  them  from  the 
evil." 

When  we  look  carefully  at  the  form  of  the  petition  we 
find  present  that  which  we  are  already  familiar  with  in 
the  other  petitions:  the  child  spirit  is  also  the  brother 
spirit  in  the  "  us,"  the  word  "  and  "  joins  this  need  with 
the  other  needs  of  man,  making  the  whole  need  of  man- 
kind covered  by  the  three  petitions,  and  besides  these  we 
find  the  peculiar  and  striking  word  ''but."  In  the 
nature  of  the  case  this  word  brings  out  the  burden  of  the 
petition.  Temptations  are  incident  to  this  life.  They 
give  an  opportunity  for  the  culture  of  moral  strength,  for 
choosing  the  right,  for  decision  and  persistence  in  de- 
cision, for  firmly  adhering  to  the  choice  of  the  right 
through  all  snares  and  hardships.  Temptations  in  our 
thought  include  trials  or  tests,  and  in  these  there  may  be 
excellent  training,  but  they  generally  mean  solicitations 
to  sin.  While  God  never  solicits  man  to  sin,  He  leaves 
him  in  a  world  where  such  solicitations  are  common,  and 
one  grows  strong  by  the  conflict  with  them,  quick  to 
detect  and  prompt  to  resist  the  evil.  Xow,  with  refer- 
ence to  both  meanings  of  temptation,  we  have  inherent 
weakness  and  a  history  of  failure ;  we  may  not  rush  into 
either ;  neither  as  children  of  God,  renewed  in  His  like- 
ness, may  we  shrink  from  either.  Our  main  desire  is : 
"  Deliver  us  from  the  evil.  We  are  weak  and  sinful ;  it 
is  difficult  for  us  to  bear  trial,  to  resist  temptation,  but 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  231 

Thou  knowest  us  altogether,  and  we  Thy  children  have 
utmost  confidence  in  Thy  wisdom  and  love,  so  we  follow 
Thy  lead — only  deliver  us  from  the  evil.  Lead  us  not 
into  trials ;  '  but '  if  trial  is  Thy  way  of  delivering  from 
the  evil,  we  follow  Tliy  lead.  Lead  us  not  into  tempta- 
tion. We  know  Thou  dost  never  solicit  to  sin — that  is 
always  the  work  of  the  evil  one ;  still,  we  would  not  be 
led  where  we  would  meet  him;  'but'  if  facing  Satan 
himself  is  Thy  way  of  delivering  from  the  evil,  we  follow 
Thy  lead." 

The  "and"  also  has  its  cheering  suggestion.  The 
petition  follows  that  for  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  already 
granted  to  the  believing  child,  whatever  then  may  be  the 
fierceness  of  the  trials  or  the  temptations  awaiting  him, 
he  faces  them  not  burdened  by  the  guilt  of  his  sins,  but 
with  the  loyal  and  thankful  heart  of  the  forgiven  and 
accepted  child. 

Let  us  confine  our  thought,  at  first,  to  the  trials  of  life. 
These  seem  to  stand  in  the  way  of  our  getting  good,  to 
hinder  us.  James,  in  his  epistle,  startles  us  by  a  widely 
different  view :  "  My  brethren,  count  it  all  joy  when  ye 
fall  into  divers  temptations,  knowing  that  the  trial  of 
your  faith  worketh  patience."  God  tries  his  people  now 
as  of  old,  the  humblest  and  weakest,  as  he  tried  Abraham 
and  Job ;  some  with  little  trials,  the  many  annoyances  of 
life ;  some  with  great  trials,  the  heavy  troubles  of  life. 
He  puts  their  faith  and  patience  to  the  test,  not  to  dis- 
cover to  Himself,  for  He  knows,  but  to  exercise  and 
strengthen  tliese  graces,  and  to  discover  them  to  others, 
to  rebuke  the  evil  and  to  encourage  the  good.  So  a  wise 
and  loving  father  brings  out  the  latent  powers  of  his 
child  and  strengthens  them  by  giving  him  difficult  tasks 


232  THE  LORD*S  PRAYER. 

to  do — by  calling  liim  to  labor  and  to  conquer  obstacles. 
The  trials  are  in  their  nature  hard  to  bear ;  they  render 
the  performance  of  our  duties  more  difficult ;  they  even 
have  a  tendency  to  awaken  hard  feelings  toward  our  fel- 
lows or  discontent  with  our  lot.  We  are  not  called  to 
make  light  of  them,  either  singly  or  as  a  whole ;  still,  we 
can  see  they  have  their  gracious  design,  their  blessed  use. 

Some  Christian  virtues  are  natives  only  of  this  earth ; 
they  may  adorn  Heaven  when  transplanted  there,  but 
they  can  never  be  born  or  cultivated  in  that  land  where 
darkness  and  storm  never  enter.  "  Patience."  The  very 
name  is  of  the  earth ;  here  we  are  called  to  wait,  to  hold 
fast,  to  endure,  where  wind  and  tide  and  darkness  and 
storm  are  all  against  us.  "A  forgiving  spirit."  How 
can  it  ever  be  awakened  in  Heaven,  or  even  on  the  earth, 
unless  by  the  trial  of  cruel  wrong  or  careless  indifference  ? 
Then,  too,  there  is  an  element  of  faith,  a  kind  of  trust 
which  is  not  of  the  light  but  of  the  darkness,  which  feels 
God's  presence,  takes  hold  of  His  hand,  and  clings  to 
Him  when  one  is  sinking  in  the  wide  sea  and  there  is 
none  else  to  cling  to — "Lord,  save,  or  T  perish." 

Not  only  are  many  virtues  natives  of  the  earth,  but  here 
also  there  is  particular  call  for  their  exercise  for  the  good 
of  mankind.  Christ  said  of  His  disciples,  as  He  said  of 
Himself,  "Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world."  He  called 
men  to  believe  in  Him,  that  they  might  be  "  children  of 
light,"  shining  ones  in  this  dark  earth.  Doing  the  diffi- 
cult duties,  bearing  the  many  trials  of  life  in  a  loving, 
trustful  spirit,  showing  confidence  in  and  obedience  to 
the  heavenly  Father,  growing  more  like  the  noble  Savior, 
facing  and  pressing  on  steadily  to  the  heavenly  life — this 
is  a  kind  of  living  this  dark  earth  particularly  needs. 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER, 


233 


When  we  reach  Heaven  we  may  look  back  with  great 
interest  upon  the  scenes  of  this  earth — at  least,  we  may 
conjecture  this ;  but  no  one  can  even  imagine  that  he  w^ill 
be  able  to  send  back  a  single  ray  of  light  into  its  dark- 
ness. Whatever  shining  on  earth  we  are  to  do,  we  are 
to  do  now.  When  God  tests  us  here  it  is  not  only  for 
our  good,  but  for  the  good  of  the  world. 

Beyond  ourselves  and  the  circle  of  human  witnesses  is 
the  intelligent  universe.  God  shows  them  that  His  saved 
ones  are  indeed  saved  from  sin,  are  delivered  from  the 
evil,  as  they  emerge  from  the  trials  He  appoints  them. 
There  is  no  one  in  Heaven,  earth,  or  hell  that  will  ever 
dare  question  the  integrity  of  Job.  Paul  will  stand  un- 
challenged in  the  wide  universe  throughout  eternity  as 
having  loved  and  served  the  Savior  through  all  trials  to 
the  end.  No  one  will  question  the  justice  of  the  Re- 
deemer when  in  the  day  of  His  revelation  He  gives  the 
crown  of  life  to  those  who  have  endured  temptation. 

Trials  thus  have  their  great  uses.  But  what  shall  be 
our  attitude  toward  them  ?  Shall  we  rush  headlong  into 
them?  Shall  we  pray,  and  act  as  we  pray,  ''Lead  us 
into  trials "  %  We  cannot  have  this  self-confident  spirit 
when  we  remember  our  past  with  its  weakness,  its  neg- 
lect, and  its  transgressions.  Shall  we,  then,  rush  to  the 
other  extreme,  and  pray,  "  Lead  us  not  into  temptation," 
and  stop  there?  That  is  cowardly,  that  looks  only  at 
one's  own  weakness,  and  closes  our  eyes  to  our  heavenly 
Father's  love  and  wisdom  and  abundant  grace.  Now 
especially,  as  we  stand  facing  the  heavy,  black,  myste- 
rious cloud  of  earth's  trials,  we  need  to  consult  not  our 
fears  alone,  but  mainly  our  faith  in  God.  We  need  to 
use  the  whole  petition  our  Savior  taught  us.     We  need 


234 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


to  look  at  the  presence  of  God  with  us  in  the  trial,  and 
at  the  design  of  God  for  us  through  the  trial.  "Our 
Father,  remember  our  weakness,  but  we  want  to  be 
strong ;  we.  Thy  children,  take  hold  of  Thy  hand.  Lead 
us  not  into  trials,  'but'  deliver  us  from  the  evil." 

Now  when  trials  come,  as  come  they  will  in  this  world 
of  trial,  the  child  of  God  has  two  great  elements  of 
strength.  He  has  not  sought  them  recklessly,  he  has  not 
brought  them  upon  himself  by  disobedience,  but  in  serv- 
ing God  he  has  entered  trials.  God  is  leading  him, 
God  is  with  him,  and  God  will  bring  him  through ;  let 
him  call  up  all  his  strength  to  bear  and  to  do  God's  will. 
At  the  battle  of  Wagram,  Napoleon  ordered  McDonald 
and  his  division  to  charge  and  break  the  center  of  the 
enemy.  As  the  division  marched  on,  the  enemy  closed  in 
on  all  sides  upon  it,  pouring  shot  and  shell  into  the  ranks; 
they  were  enveloped  in  the  smoke  of  battle,  they  were  in 
the  midst  of  blazing  cannon,  many  fell  by  the  way,  the 
ranks  became  thin — still  they  marched  on.  At  length 
McDonald  halted  an  instant ;  he  looked  back  upon  his 
brave  and  almost  shattered  division,  and  a  dreadful 
thought  came  into  his  mind :  "Napoleon  is  not  sustaining 
us,  we  are  deserted."  Just  at  that  moment  the  wind 
lifted  the  smoke  from  the  battle-field,  and  he  saw  Napo- 
leon on  a  near  hilltop  watching  them ;  behind  him  the 
ranks  of  the  Old  Guard  were  advancing,  and  that  instant 
he  heard  the  cannon  in  the  rear  of  the  enemy.  He  saw 
it  all  now.  Napoleon  had  given  them  the  honor  of  strik- 
ing the  decisive  blow;  he  was  watching  them,  he  was 
sustaining  them.  With  the  wild  cry,  "Long  live  the 
emperor ! "  he  again  led  the  charge,  and  the  victory  was 
won,     Oh,  man  I    in  the   smoke   and   din  of  your  life 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  235 

battle,  never  let  the  thought  that  your  Father  has  for- 
saken you  fill  your  soul  with  weakness !  It  is  impossible. 
He  has  given  you  your  work  to  do,  it  is  part  of  His  great 
plan  of  deliverance  for  yourself  and  your  fellow  men. 
He  is  watching  you.  He  will  sustain  you.  Be  brave,  be 
strong,  for  victory  is  sure ! 

The  second  element  of  strength  is  the  assurance  that 
the  presence  of  the  trial  is  an  indication  of  God's  faith- 
fulness and  love.  Infinite  love,  we  know,  designs  the 
highest  possible  development  and  blessedness  of  the 
trusting  soul.  The  severity  of  the  trial,  the  special 
trouble  impending  and  dreaded,  or  already  come  and 
almost  crushing  in  its  weight,  is  not  an  indication  of 
God's  displeasure,  but  of  His  glorious  design,  and  of  the 
faithful  love  that  holds  steadfast  this  design  to  its  glori- 
ous accomplishment.  The  Emperor  Moth  has  a  painful 
struggle  to  break  forth  from  the  cocoon.  If  in  pity  one 
tries  to  help  it  and  cuts  the  strong  threads  holding  it,  the 
moth  comes  forth  undeveloped,  with  small  wings  of  dull 
color.  The  severe  pressure  and  struggle  are  needed  to 
cause  the  flow  of  the  fluids  which  create  the  marvelous 
hues.  If  it  passes  through  the  struggle  fully  it  spreads 
wide  wings  of  brilliant  colors.  God  is  with  us,  and  God 
is  faithful  in  His  love;  He  will  make  the  very  best  pos- 
sible of  us.  Let  us  not  shrink  or  murmur ;  the  glorious 
design  of  God  is  far  better  than  relief  from  present  trial. 
A  great  writer  has  said  of  the  rainbow  that  which  is  true 
also  of  the  skies  of  the  soul :  "  The  brightest  scarf  that 
Heaven  weaves  is  thrown  across  the  shoulders  of  the 
storm." 

Let  us  now  confine  our  thought  to  those  temptations 
which  are  solicitations  to  sin.     There  is  often  much  of 


236 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


this  nature  in  trials,  tlioiigli  perhaps  it  may  be  more  in 
the  way  of  pressing  one  into  sin  rather  than  drawing 
him ;  but  our  thoughts  now  turn  to  the  allurements  of 
sin.  A  good  father,  while  he  may  often  train  his  child 
with  hard  tasks,  never  strives  to  lead  him  into  wrong- 
doing. So  here  God  never  tempts  any  one  to  sin.  In 
no  sense,  in  no  way,  at  no  time,  does  He  solicit  or  allure 
any  one  to  sin.  There  is  no  evil  in  Him,  and  none  can 
come  from  Him.  This  is  a  conviction,  clearly  and  firmly 
held  by  the  trusting,  praying  child.  All  our  prayers  are 
based  upon  our  knowledge  of  God's  character.  The  rev- 
elation of  Himself  and  His  promises  are  our  incentives  to 
prayer.  Our  Father  in  Heaven  is  better  than  any  earthly 
father ;  He  is  holy,  the  absolute  reverse  of  sin  in  infinite 
strength.  We  have  no  need  to  pray  that  He  will  not 
solicit  us  to  sin ;  we  could  not  pray  to  Him  at  all  if  we 
thought  there  was  the  slightest  danger  of  His  ever  doing 
that.  Such  a  petition  could  not  be  in  a  prayer  to  our 
Father,  whose  name  is  holy.  "Hallowed  be  Thy  name" 
and  "Allure  us  not  to  sin"  could  not  be  in  the  same 
prayer. 

As  we  look  more  intently,  we  see  that  while  a  good 
father  never  strives  to  lead  his  child  into  wrong-doing,  he 
also  wisely  recognizes  that  in  this  sinful  world  his  child 
will  never  be  made  strong  by  being  entirely  shielded  from 
temptation — that  seclusion  from  all  allurements  to  sin  is 
not  only  impossible,  but  would  be  disastrous  to  all  manly 
growth  in  virtue.  He  does  not  now  recklessly  leave 
his  child  alone;  he  simply  recognizes  the  conditions  of 
life,  and  tries  by  his  teaching,  example,  and  his  whole 
influence  to  warn  his  child ;  to  cultivate  a  love  of  the 
good,  and  an  instinctive  recognition  and  hatred  of  the 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  237 

wrong;  to  develop  the  strength  and  self-control  in  his 
child  to  say  "Ko  "  instantly  and  firmly  to  all  the  beset- 
ting allurements  of  sin.  !Now,  an  earthly  father,  however 
wise  and  good,  is  not  infallible ;  and  still  that  is  a  wise 
child  who  admires  his  father's  noble  character,  his  stand- 
ard of  manly  virtue,  and  who  follows  his  lead  with 
reference  to  all  the  allurements  of  sin.  Our  heavenly 
Father  is  infinitely  wise  as  well  as  good ;  while  we  know 
that  He  will  never  allure  us  to  sin,  we  have  equal  confi- 
dence that  He  will  bring  us  into  the  allurements  to  sin 
only  as  the  best  possible  way  to  deliver  us  from  the  evil. 
This  confidence  of  the  child  voices  itself  in  this  petition. 

We  have  now  two  important  truths  upon  which  we 
may  base  our  conduct.  When  facing  temptation  we 
know  its  source;  it  always  comes  from  the  devil.  A 
solicitation  to  sin  has  only  one  source — it  comes  from  a 
sinful  being.  Satan  may  clothe  himself  as  an  angel  of 
light,  but  whatever  his  disguise  we  know  from  the  nature 
of  his  act  that  back  of  it  is  the  malignant  being,  hideous 
in  every  feature  and  aim,  our  deadly  foe.  But  we  not 
only  know  its  source,  we  know  also  our  weakness.  Satan, 
whatever  his  allurements,  could  not  tempt  a  being  con- 
firmed in  virtue ;  there  are  sinful  propensities  within  our 
hearts,  and  we  are  tempted  when  we  are  "  drawn  away 
by  our  own  lust  and  enticed." 

Warned,  therefore,  and  on  our  guard,  we  pray,  "  De- 
liver us  from  the  evil,"  and  act  accordingly.  The  skilful 
captain  does  not  see  how  close  he  can  sail  to  the  breakers, 
his  skill  gives  them  a  wide  berth.  A  good  warrior 
throws  out  his  pickets  before  he  pitches  his  camp  on  the 
boi-ders  of  the  enemy's  country.  One  stands  on  the  edge 
of  a  dangerous  precipice  when  he  looks  over  at  a  wrong 


238  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

thinff ;  his  fancied  security  may  end  in  a  dizzy  head  and  a 
lost  balance.  Contact  with  evil  is  not  to  be  sought  but 
shunned.  We  are  to  shun  the  company  of  the  corrupt, 
no  matter  how  brilliant  it  may  seem — corrupt  books  as 
well  as  corrupt  persons.  There  is  one  ignorance  of 
which  we  may  be  proud — ignorance  of  sinful  ways.  The 
time  to  nip  sin  is  in  the  bud,  and  we  are  not  to  take  the 
lirst  look  lest  it  awaken  desire,  and  desire  ends  in  choice. 
We  are  not  to  allow  ourselves  to  be  drawn  away  and 
caught  in  Satan's  net.  We  have  the  utmost  trust  in 
God.  He  never  in  the  least  solicits  to  sin ;  He  would 
make  us  strong  and  on  our  guard  against  sin.  So  we 
know  that  every  solicitation  to  sin  is  from  Satan,  and  we 
will  not  follow  his  lead  in  the  smallest  particular. 

The  second  important  truth  is  that  virtue  is  acquired 
by  meeting  and  conquering  solicitations  to  sin.  Inno- 
cence is  a  beautiful  thing.  We  should  keep  our  minds 
and  hearts  free  from  every  contact  with  sin  as  far  as 
possible,  instinctively  turning  away  from  the  presence  of 
sill.  But  virtue  is  a  strong  and  noble  thing,  and  can  only 
come  from  battling  bravely  against  the  assaults  of  sin. 
Blessed  is  he  who  has  both  as  his  lifelong  companions — 
Innocence,  the  fair,  clear  eyed,  white-robed  maiden, 
whose  thoughts  are  heavenly,  and  Yirtue,  the  brave  and 
fully  armed  warrior,  the  victor  in  many  a  hard  battle 
with  sin!  The  annals  of  chivalry  tell  us  of  the  Prince  of 
Navarre,  whose  white  plume  led  the  brave  and  true  in 
the  thickest  of  every  battle.  How  can  he  keep  it  white 
amid  the  carnage  of  the  battle?  He  wears  it  on  his 
helmet,  lifts  it  out  of  reach  of  his  foes,  and  guards  it  with 
his  own  good  sword.  So  Yirtue  should  guard  Innocence 
in  the  battles  of  life.     Now,  in  order  that  we  may  be 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


239 


delivered  from  evil,  our  heavenly  Father  may  lead  us 
into  the  presence  of  temptation,  though  the  temptation 
itself  is  always  from  Satan.  So  in  the  beginning  of  our 
Savior's  mission  it  is  said,  "  He  was  led  by  the  Spirit  into 
the  wilderness  to  be  tempted  by  tlie  devil."  It  is  quite 
clear  the  leading  was  by  the  Spirit,  but  the  temptation 
was  only  from  the  devil,  and  in  this  great  battle  the 
Captain  of  our  salvation  came  off  victorious. 

The  further  truth  becomes  clear  to  us  that  we  can  be 
strong  to  resist  temptation  only  when  our  Father  leads 
us.  If  we  rush  recklessly  or  carelessly  wander  into  temp- 
tation, if  we  are  attracted  by  its  charms  or  think  we  are 
beyond  its  reach,  we  may  incur  shame  or  even  become 
shameful.  But  if  walking  in  the  clear  path  of  duty,  or 
if  filled  with  love  and  longing  to  save  the  sinful,  thus 
following  the  lead  of  God  and  in  the  spirit  of  our  Savior, 
we  meet  the  solicitations  of  Satan,  we  will  come  off  as 
Christ  did — victorious.  The  courage  of  Christ's  soldiers 
comes  from  fear  of  temptation  and  confidence  in  their 
leader.  The  brave  soldier  sees  the  danger  and  does  not 
rush  into  it,  but  at  the  command  of  his  Captain  he  defies 
it.  William  of  Orange,  in  a  battle,  said  to  a  friend  who 
stood  near  him :  "  Sir,  do  you  know  that  every  moment 
you  stand  here  is  at  the  risk  of  your  life ? "  "I  run  no 
more  risk  than  your  highness,"  was  the  reply.  "Yes," 
said  the  prince,  "  but  my  duty  brings  me  here  and  your's 
does  not."  "There  goes  a  brave  man,"  said  the  general 
to  his  staff.  "When  I  gave  him  the  order  he  saw  the 
danger  and  turned  pale,  but  instantly  obeyed."  When 
one  faces  Satan  at  the  command  of  his  Lord,  though  he 
knows  Satan's  malignant  power,  he  can  defy  him,  for  he 
is  in  the  path  of  duty.     The  careless  pleasure-seeker  and 


240  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

the  ardent  follower  of  Christ  may  be  in  the  same  immoral 
surroundings,  the  one  to  watch  and  enjoy  them,  the  other 
to  save  others  from  sinful  living,  and  they  will  very 
prol)ably  come  out  with  very  different  records  and  char- 
acters and  destinies.  By  the  association  of  the  good  with 
the  evil  the  evil  are  to  be  saved,  the  having  this  motive 
effectual  guards  the  good  from  being  enslaved.  Bad 
characters,  associations,  and  influences  will  not  be  con- 
genial to  the  one  led  by  the  path  of  duty  among  them  or 
by  the  desire  to  save  from  them ;  this  duty,  this  love,  is 
the  leading  of  his  heavenly  Father,  and  at  the  same  time 
his  safeguard  against  temptation.  One  may  be  in  the 
world,  but  this  heavenly  Spirit  keeps  him  from  being 
worldly,  and  he  grows  brigliter  as  he  passes  through  the 
world,  and  he  wins  others  to  follow  him. 

This  last  petition,  "Deliver  us  from  the  evil,"  as  taught 
by  our  Savior,  shows  us  not  only  our  great  need,  but  His 
gracious  design.  Deliverance  the  most  complete,  from 
evil  the  most  comprehensive,  is  not  only  the  summary  of 
the  prayer,  but  of  our  Lord's  purpose.  Evil!  IIow 
broad  a  mark  it  has  made  upon  the  earth  and  its  history, 
and  how  strong  a  hold  it  has  upon  man  to-day !  We  are 
under  its  power,  and  yet  we  are  separate  from  it ;  there 
is  an  "us"  to  be  delivered  from  the  evil.  Man  is  ever 
struggling  with  outward  evil.  Every  stroke  of  hammer 
and  pick,  every  school,  every  hospital,  is  man's  endeavor 
to  deliver  himself  from  the  evil  of  poverty,  ignorance, 
and  disease.  The  simple  words  of  the  petition  in  their 
lowest  meaning  translate  the  longing  of  restless  humanity 
for  freedom  from  the  many-shaped  and  hideous  evil. 
But  man's  struggle  is  more  with  outward  evil  than  with 
inward — with  the   evil   of   conditions  more  than   with 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  241 

the  evil  of  character.  Christ  our  Lord  awakens  the 
desire  to  be  freed  from  the  inward  evil;  He  holds  before 
us  no  end  short  of  deliverance  from  the  whole  sphere  of 
the  evil.  This  desire  of  the  child  runs  through  all  the 
petitions.  Deliver  us  from  the  evil  that  alienates  from 
the  heavenly  Father,  that  dishonors  His  holy  name,  that 
opposes  His  kingdom,  that  resists  His  will,  that  misuses 
this  daily  life,  that  incurs  guilt,  that  yields  to  tempta- 
tion. 

What  a  sweep  the  petition  takes,  and  what  a  blessed 
thing  that  it  is  a  prayer  !  How  could  we  hope  to  deliver 
ourselves  from  such  a  comprehensive  evil  1  There  is  still 
an  "  us,"  we  recognize  that,  but  we  are  so  under  the  power 
of  the  evil  that  only  God  can  deliver  us.  He  by  His 
grace  and  forgiving  love  in  Jesus  Christ  has  implanted 
His  spirit  in  our  hearts,  and  so  this  desire  calls  upon  Him 
in  the  utmost  confidence.  We  stand  not  as  criminals 
before  a  judge,  not  as  slaves  before  a  throne,  but  as 
children  before  the  heavenly  Father.  And  we  stand  not 
alone,  but  He  who  taught  us  to  pray  prays  for  us  and 
with  us.  "I  pray  not  that  Thou  shouldst  take  them  out 
of  the  world,  but  that  Thou  shouldst  keep  them  from  the 
evil.  As  Thou  hast  sent  Me  into  the  w^orld,  even  so  have 
I  also  sent  them  into  the  world.  Father,  I  w^ill  tliat  they 
also  Avhoni  Thou  hast  given  Me  be  with  me  where  I  am, 
that  they  may  behold  My  glory  which  Thou  hast  given 
Me ;  for  Thou  lovest  Me  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world."  Thus  we  see  a  glorious  social  deliverance,  wide, 
complete,  and  final,  arising  within  the  horizon  of  our 
Savior's  vision — a  perfect  Society,  fully  appreciating  and 
realizing  Christ's  gracious  designs. 


"FOE  THIKE  IS  THE  KINGDOM,  AKD  THE 

POWER,  AND  THE  GLOEY,  FOE  EVER 

AMEN." 

Matt,  vi :  18. 

There  is  grave  reason  to  doubt  whether  this  clause  of 
adoration,  which  is  enslirined  in  the  hearts  of  all  be- 
lievers as  the  fitting  crown  of  the  prayer,  was  made  a  part 
of  it  by  our  Lord  Himself.  Before  we  can  give  up  that 
which  is  so  dear  to  us  in  itself  and  in  its  associations  we 
must  have  good  evidence  that  our  Savior  did  not  teach 
it.  The  Eevised  Yersion  places  it  in  the  margin,  giving 
the  great  weight  of  its  reverent  scholarship  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  is  not  a  part  of  our  Lord's  Prayer  as 
taught  by  Him  to  His  disciples.  Among  the  many 
ancient  manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament  now  existing, 
three  are  generally  conceded  as  being  more  ancient  than 
the  others.  Of  these  the  one  now  in  the  British  Museum 
in  London  is  defective,  in  not  having  the  first  few  chap- 
ters in  Matthew.  The  one  in  the  Yatican  Museum, 
Eome,  has  no  doxology.  The  one  in  the  charge  of  the 
Greek  Church  at  St.  Petersburg  is  also  without  the  dox- 
ology. So  the  most  ancient  manuscripts  sustain  the 
Eevised  Yersion.  Also  some  ancient  manuscripts  have 
the  doxology  in  the  margin,  while  others  have  it  as  a  part 
of  the  text,  but  in  brackets.  Besides,  most  of  the  ancient 
fathers,  both  of  the  Latin  and  Greek  branches  of  the 
Church,  in  their  writings  commenting  on  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  make  no  mention  of  the  doxology,  though  some 
of  the  Greek  fathers  comment  on  it.  When  we  consult 
242 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


243 


the  ancient  versions,  the  burden  of  the  evidence  is  also 
against  the  doxology  as  having  been  added  by  our  Lord. 
The  Syric  and  Coptic  versions  mention  it  but  defectively, 
while  the  old  Latin  and  the  Yulgate  make  no  mention  of 
it  at  all.  On  the  other  hand,  the  more  recent  manu- 
scripts contain  it,  and  these  in  growing  numbers,  until  at 
length  it  is  contained  in  all. 

The  question  now  arises.  If  our  Lord  did  not  teach  the 
doxology,  how  did  it  become  added  to  His  prayer  until 
it  has  been  universally  received  as  part  of  it  ? 

The  prayer  as  recorded  in  Matthew  was  probably 
used  in  the  public  worship  of  the  Church,  and  in  such 
use  a  doxology  bringing  it  to  fitting  conclusion  would 
seem  to  be  needed.  There  are  many  doxologies  in  Scrip- 
ture, and  the  one  used  in  the  Temple  I,  Chron.  xxix:  11, 
was  adopted  in  some  churches,  and  then  quite  generally, 
as  appropriate.  The  copyists  of  the  manuscripts  noted 
this  fact  upon  the  margin  in  some  cases,  and  more  fre- 
quently as  the  custom  of  its  use  in  public  worship  became 
more  general.  The  next  copyists  familiar  with  a  usage 
now  generally  established,  and  already  regarding  the  dox- 
ology as  part  of  the  prayer,  inserted  it  in  the  text  itself. 
So  the  doxology  may  have  been  added  by  the  Church 
from  the  Scripture.  Its  very  appropriateness  accounting 
for  its  introduction  thus  becomes  an  evidence  against  its 
having  been  taught  by  our  Lord.  This,  too,  accounts  for 
its  not  being  found  in  the  prayer  as  recorded  in  Luke ; 
that  prayer  was  taught  under  other  circumstances,  and  is 
not  quite  as  well  adapted  to  public  worship,  and  so,  not 
being  used  in  such  worship,  did  not  have  the  doxology 
added. 

The  question  now  becomes  one  of  probability.     Which 


244  ^^^  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

is  more  probable — that  our  Lord  added  tlie  doxology,  and 
tliat  the  most  ancient  copyists  dropped  it  out,  so  that  the 
most  ancient  manuscripts,  church  fathers,  and  versions 
are  without  it,  or  tliat  the  Church  added  it  to  the  prayer 
in  lier  worship,  and  so  it  became  a  part  of  the  prayer  in 
the  later  manuscripts,  church  fathers,  and  versions  ?  It  is 
very  improbable  that  the  early  copyists  would  have 
dropped  out  a  doxology  so  appropriate  and  the  Avork  of 
our  Lord.  Carelessness  would  not  account  for  it ;  besides, 
tliey  were  very  careful,  and  they  would  not  have  ven- 
tured, or  been  permitted  to  do  it,  from  design.  Our 
allegiance  to  Christ  compels  us,  as  it  compelled  the 
revisers,  to  give  up  that  which  is  exceedingly  dear  to  our 
hearts,  in  our  devotions,  as  the  work  of  our  Lord.  But 
this  need  not  compel  us  to  give  it  up  as  a  part  of  the 
prayer,  only  fully  understanding  that  the  doxology,  with 
its  "  amen,"  has  been  added  by  the  Church,  or,  if  we 
choose,  is  added  by  ourselves  to  the  prayer  the  Lord 
taught  us. 

Such  ascriptions  of  praise  are  purely  scriptural.  IN^ot 
only  do  we  find  them  arising  from  the  hearts  of  the 
devout  in  the  Old  Testament,  but  the  writers  of  the  IS^ew 
Testament  abound  in  them,  and  there  are  assurances  that 
the  heavenly  life  will  frequently  voice  itself  in  a  great 
doxology.  Whenever  we  contemplate  God's  greatness 
and  goodness  and  glorious  designs  in  any  department  of 
His  work,  in  the  creation,  in  the  wide  universe,  in  the 
redemption  of  sinful  man,  i)i  the  glory  of  the  future  life, 
we  may  well  lift  up  our  hearts  and  voices  in  an  ascription 
of  praise. 

So  as  we  close  this  prayer  at  the  throne  of  Divine 
majesty  and  grace,  as  we  children,  led  by  our  Savior  into 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


245 


the  presence  of  our  heavenly  Father,  bring  the  desires  He 
has  awakened  in  our  hearts  before  Him — desires  for  the 
glory  of  God  and  the  highest  welfare  of  man — we  recog- 
nize that  our  privilege  to  pray,  and  the  prayer  we  make, 
and  the  assurance  of  its  full  and  gracious  answer,  all 
come  from  God.  "  For  Thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the 
power,  and  the  glory,  for  ever.     Amen." 


DATE  DUE 

ti'-' 

^WMpflW'^*^^ 

1 

\\^oAm 

i 

tjy    ^JQi 

^ 

1 

- 

GAYLORD 

PRINTED  IN  USA. 

1    1012  01002  2467 


